Following months of speculation, former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced Friday that he will run for U.S. Senate.
Hogan, who served two terms as governor of Maryland as a Republican, called for an end to partisanship and “broken politics” in Washington, D.C.
“Let’s face it, one party alone can’t fix it,” Hogan said in a video announcement. “We desperately need leaders willing to stand up to both parties. Leaders that appreciate that no one of us has all the answers or all the power.”
Hogan will run for the seat currently held by U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin, who is retiring after three terms in the Senate.
So far, the race has narrowed to two Democratic frontrunners: Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks and U.S. Rep. David Trone.
In Maryland, Democrats outnumber Republicans about 2-to-1.
Earlier this year, Hogan stepped down as co-chair of No Labels, a third-party movement that reached the signature threshold for party recognition in Maryland. Hogan, however, has filed to run for Senate as a Republican.
A critic of former president Donald Trump and once rumored for his own possible run for president, Hogan in January endorsed Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley, former governor of South Carolina.
In his video announcement, Hogan said he has been able to find “common ground for the common good.”
“Maryland is known as the state of middle temperament,” he said. “We believe in common decency and common sense. Like the exhaustive majority of Marylanders, I’m completely fed up with politics as usual.”
Hogan added, “Enough is enough. We can do so much better, but not if we keep electing the same partisan politicians.”
