Never-Trump Republican Larry Hogan Won’t Challenge Wes Moore For Maryland Governor

Former Maryland GOP Gov. Larry Hogan does not plan to challenge incumbent Democratic Gov. Wes Moore this November, he announced on Tuesday.

The moderate Republican served two terms as governor, but Maryland law limits governors to two consecutive terms, not a lifetime cap. In 2024, Hogan unsuccessfully ran for the U.S. Senate against now-Sen. Angela Alsobrooks.

“I care deeply about the state of Maryland, and I remain concerned about the direction of our nation’s politics, but I have no intention of running for office again,” Hogan wrote in an op-ed for The Baltimore Sun. “It was an honor to serve, but it’s time to look forward, not back. The fight for Maryland and America’s future does not belong to any one person or any one party; it belongs to the people.”

Ammar Moussa, Senior Press Secretary and Director of Media Strategy for Moore, posted to X, “Damn I would’ve enjoyed beating him. Again.”

The Cook Political Report rates the race as solid Democrat, but there were reports circulating that Hogan could be mulling another campaign. Hogan was a frequent critic of President Donald Trump, though Trump ultimately endorsed him during the 2024 cycle. In a June 2024 interview with Fox News, Trump said he wanted Hogan to win to help Republicans take back the Senate, according to the Associated Press. In August, an Instagram post from Hogan sparked rumors about a potential comeback. The post showed his old campaign RV, joking that it was “slightly used” and suggesting they could “get back out on the road again,” according to Fox 45 Baltimore. Hogan later said in September 2024 that he would not vote for Trump during his comeback bid, POLITICO reported.

In September, Moore launched his re-election campaign after winning his 2022 race with nearly 65% of the vote. The Democrat has been widely considered a possible 2028 presidential contender, but he told NBC News’s “Meet the Press” in September that he’s “not running for president.”

The Daily Wire reached out to the Moore campaign for comment on Hogan’s decision but did not receive an immediate response.