Republican Ex-Governor Larry Hogan Snags Endorsement from Joe Manchin in Maryland Senate Race

Republican Larry Hogan, the popular, anti-Trump, former two-term governor of Maryland who is running for Senate this cycle against Democrat Angela Alsobrooks, Prince George’s County executive, snagged an endorsement from Senator Joe Manchin (I., W.Va.), the retiring centrist who formally left the Democratic Party earlier this year.

Manchin praised Hogan’s bipartisan bona fides and said that if the Republican former governor is elected to retiring Senator Ben Cardin’s seat (D., Md.), he will not be beholden to either party. “Forget about being a Democrat or Republican,” said Manchin, a lawmaker who has spent much of his time in Washington as a thorn in the side of Senate Democratic leadership. “Larry Hogan is just the right person with the right attitude for the job. He’s not afraid to speak against your party and he won’t be controlled by any party or any type of ideology.”

Maryland’s Senate race hasn’t gotten as much attention from national media in recent months, presumably because many reporters think that Alsobrooks is a shoe-in for Cardin’s seat given it’s a presidential year and Joe Biden carried the state by 33 points in 2020. But on my flight home from the Democratic convention in Chicago last month, I sat next to someone who is deeply involved in Maryland Democratic politics who told me the race is seen as very competitive on the ground. Lots of voters there are familiar with his record, see him as genuine, and are considering supporting him as a check on the Trump-centric GOP, this person told me. Yes, Hogan is the underdog, and no, an endorsement from Manchin won’t be determinative. Alsobrooks will certainly be well-funded but may struggle with name ID outside of Prince George’s County.

Here’s some of my reporting from back in May on the kind of Senate campaign Hogan is running. More on this race soon.