Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, who recently won the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate, has spoken out as a pro-choice advocate and suggested he would vote to protect abortion if elected. The move comes as he prepares to face his Democratic opponent Angela Alsobrooks.
During an interview with The New York Timessaid Hogan he supports “restoration roe as the law of the land” and that he “will continue to protect women’s right to make their own reproductive decisions, just as I did for eight years as governor.”
The former governor said he believes “women should have the right to make their own decisions about their own bodies.”
In a post on X, Hogan reiterated his support for abortion.
As governor, I protected the right of Maryland women to make their own reproductive health decisions. I will do the same in the Senate by overturning Roe v. restore Wade as the law of the land. No one should come between a woman and her doctor.
As governor, I protected the right of Maryland women to make their own reproductive health decisions. I will do the same in the Senate by overturning Roe v. restore Wade as the law of the land. No one should come between a woman and her doctor.https://t.co/i3Izh3Kn7G
– Governor Larry Hogan (@GovLarryHogan) May 16, 2024
Yet despite his stated support for abortion, his record could cause some in the state to doubt his sincerity.
In 2022, while governor, Hogan vetoed a state law to expand access to the procedure. After his veto was overridden, he withheld $3.5 million that the state legislature had allocated for training novel providers.
In their efforts to defeat Hogan, Democrats will likely try to associate Hogan with the national Republican Party’s stance on abortion.
Still, Hogan is known for positioning himself as a moderate on social issues, which could aid him appeal to more centrist voters, even if it draws criticism from conservative Republicans.
Alsobrooks attempted to question Hogan’s stance on abortion by saying he may not support the procedure as much as he would like voters to believe. She told According to reporters, Hogan “will not support a national law protecting abortion rights” and “will not oppose election judges, including nominees to the U.S. Supreme Court.”
In a video posted to X, she argued that the former governor “has already shown us and told us that he will not protect abortion rights.”
Larry Hogan has already shown us and said he will not protect abortion rights.
And the Republicans he would join in the Senate have made their agenda crystal clear. pic.twitter.com/Zwef9v9iXC
— Angela Alsobrooks (@AlsobrooksForMD) May 16, 2024
Maryland’s Senate race is already shaping up to be a closely contested affair. Some see this as a chance for Republicans to win a seat in a blue state.
With the path to Senate control potentially leading through Maryland, the talking points of the Democratic-leaning mainstream media have already become known, for example at Politico: proclaim that Hogan “stands between Alsobrooks and history” (Alsobrooks is black):
The headline has since been updated to read: “Angela Alsobrooks won a messy Senate primary. Now she’s running against Larry Hogan.” Concern over control of the Senate was also evident:
Republicans haven’t won a Senate seat in the deep blue state in more than four decades, but Hogan’s presence is turning a normally sheltered seat into a closely contested battleground that will squander key party resources. That could hurt Democrats’ attempt to maintain their tenuous control of the Senate, since every dollar spent in Maryland will not be spent defending vulnerable incumbents in several other key states.
If Hogan can defeat Alsobrooks, it could aid Republicans gain control of the Legislature — assuming they can keep the House.
