Republican senators are urging the Republican National Committee to accept Maryland Senate candidate Larry Hogan’s anti-Trump stance to help secure a Senate majority.
Hogan, an uncommon Republican supporter of former President Donald Trump’s conviction, has sparked ire from the pro-Trump RNC. Some Senate Republicans, including pro-Trump senators, are backing Hogan, suggesting it might be advantageous in the long term.
“We’ve got to give him latitude to win his race in Maryland,” said Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) to Punchbowl News. “It would be nonsensical to win the White House yet lack a Senate majority. President Trump would get nothing done.”
NRSC Chairman Steve Daines (R-MT) agreed, noting, “Larry Hogan is running for the U.S. Senate in Maryland, not Mississippi.”
In 2022, Republicans found it challenging to triumph in seemingly easy contests, as most of Trump’s picks won primaries but failed to convince the broader electorate.
Looking ahead, Republicans aim to take advantage of poor polling for President Joe Biden and a favorable Senate map, defending safe seats while focusing resources on nine major contests.
However, some senators doubt Hogan’s strategy.
“He’s clearly going to run a different campaign than I would,” Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) commented to the outlet. “But when he says things that alienate most Republicans, criticism is warranted. I still hope he wins.”
Hogan faced substantial backlash for his remarks on last week’s verdict.
“Regardless of the result, I urge all Americans to respect the verdict and the legal process. At this dangerously divided moment in our history, all leaders — regardless of party — must not pour fuel on the fire with more toxic partisanship,” he stated on X. “We must reaffirm what has made this nation great: the rule of law.”
Regardless of the result, I urge all Americans to respect the verdict and the legal process. At this dangerously divided moment in our history, all leaders—regardless of party—must not pour fuel on the fire with more toxic partisanship. We must reaffirm what has made this nation…
— Governor Larry Hogan (@GovLarryHogan) May 30, 2024
Among the multitude of comments, outweighing the likes, was former New York Republican Rep. George Santos, who called Hogan a “Spineless weak loser!”
RNC Co-Chairwoman Lara Trump harshly criticized Hogan for his comments.
“I think it’s ridiculous,” Lara Trump said in a CNN State of the Union interview. “He doesn’t deserve the respect of anyone in the Republican Party at this point. And frankly, anyone in America, if that’s how you feel. It’s very upsetting.”
