A new attack ad against former Maryland governor Larry Hogan falsely labels the centrist Republican as an advocate of stringent abortion restrictions, contradicting his moderate governing record and frequently stated political positions over the past decade.
Women vote, an affiliate of feminist powerhouse EMILYs List, is up with a new television advertisement in Maryland warning voters that Hogan’s “always been” against abortion, with news headlines about his choice to veto an abortion-access bill two years ago. The legislation in question would have allowed non-physicians to provide abortions and Hogan said he vetoed it for safety reasons.
Women’s vote said it is spending $2.2 million on the ad campaign to support Hogan’s Democratic opponent, Prince George’s county executive Angela Alsobrooks.
“While Hogan is trying to hide from his anti-abortion track record, we are going to make sure voters know his real record. As a proud Maryland resident, I know we are ready to elect Alsobrooks to the Senate and protect our rights,” EMILYs List president Jessica Mackler said in a statement.
Hogan is running as an openly “pro-choice” candidate, and promises to support legislation codifying Roe v. Wade if he becomes a senator. Hogan has reiterated his long-standing opposition to a national abortion ban and said abortion will not factor into his votes on judicial nominations, solidifying his distance from the pro-life movement.
“National partisan groups are now spending millions of dollars lying about Governor Hogan’s views and record on supporting choice for one reason: they know he is a threat to the broken status quo politics of Washington,” Hogan spokeswoman Blake Kernen said of the attack ads.
“Governor Hogan is committed to protecting our reproductive rights and women’s health—just as he has always been.”
The Hogan campaign is countering with television advertisements featuring his stepdaughters and granddaughters. Hogan’s daughters praise him for being the “ultimate girl dad” and promise voters that he will not back down from his liberal abortion stances if elected to the senate.
Throughout his time in Maryland politics, Democrats have attempted to cast Hogan as an anti-abortion extremist. Although he is Catholic, Hogan has consistently said his faith would not determine his position on abortion. When he first ran for governor in 2014, Hogan repeatedly declared that abortion was settled in Maryland and promised not to touch it.
In 2016, Hogan signed legislation to expand contraception access after he vowed to support greater access to birth control if elected governor. Two years later, Hogan supported adopting language in Maryland’s constitution to enshrine abortion protections, deferring to the will of the voters. Pro-abortion groups have consistently given Maryland high marks for its expansive abortion laws during and after Hogan’s eight years in power.
Promising to be an independent voice in the Senate, Hogan has rejected former president Donald Trump’s endorsement and often touts his bipartisan governing record. Polls have shown the race between Hogan and Alsobrooks to be a toss-up contest, making it a pivotal race for deciding which party controls the Senate in the near future.
Democratic lawmakers have promised to restore Roe if they are given congressional majorities after the Supreme Court overturned the decision two years ago and sent abortion legalization back to the states.