Larry Hogan
Party: Republican
Age: 67
Residence: Davidsonville (Anne Arundel County)
Education: Florida State University (B.A.)
Current/Most Recent Position: Real estate broker and developer
Past Elected Office/Campaign Experience: Governor of Maryland, 2015-2023; Republican nominee for U.S. House of Representatives/Maryland Dist. 5 (1992); Candidate for Republican nomination for U.S. House of Representatives/Maryland Dist. 5 special election (1981)
Campaign Website: https://larryhogan.com/
What experience (work, political or other) has best prepared you to be a U.S. senator?
As governor, I had to work with a Democratic supermajority for anything I wanted to pass. This meant we could not get anything done unless we found bipartisan compromise — a stark contrast to the divisiveness, dysfunction and partisan gridlock plaguing Congress today. I was able to work with that Democratic legislature to transform a record budget deficit into a record surplus while cutting taxes eight years in a row. My experience as governor will equip me to build consensus and get actually get stuff done — something that doesn’t happen much in Washington right now.
What is the most important issue currently confronting our nation as a whole, and what specific plans do you have to address it legislatively if elected?
The issue I hear most from Marylanders is about affordability. While my opponent is campaigning on raising taxes, I have a proven track record of reaching across the aisle to make life more affordable and I cut taxes for eight straight years as governor. Now, I have a five-point plan to do the same in Washington.
- Tax relief for small businesses, retirees, first responders, and small businesses;
- Accelerate housing construction;
- Reduce the out-of-control cost of health care;
- Helps Americans afford a quality education; and
- Block unaffordable federal spending and mandates that raise the cost of gas and electricity, food and basic necessities.
What is one major issue the current Senate has handled poorly, and what would you have done differently?
One of the reasons I got into this race was watching the bipartisan border and national security package fall apart in January. This was a real solution to secure the border and to provide funding for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan — something that most of the Republican senators had said was a priority for them — but partisan politics got in the way and Trump tanked the bill. We never put politics ahead of public safety in Maryland. That got me angry enough to say, you know what, I’m going to go down there and fix things.
What is the state of Maryland’s current greatest need in terms of assistance from the federal government, and what are your plans for obtaining increased aid in that area?
One of my top priorities will be accessing federal aid to help rebuild the Key Bridge. The bridge collapse was an utter tragedy, and Marylanders are still feeling the effects today. I’m honored to have the endorsement of the longshoremen at the port of Baltimore because they know I’m the most equipped to get this done, and as a critical swing vote in the Senate, I will have an outsize ability to work across the aisle and build consensus to get the Francis Scott Key Bridge funded and move this process along.
