Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan is running a new ad describing himself as one of the few Republicans who \u201cnever caved\u201d to Donald Trump and touting his record sending National Guard troops to the Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021 attack.<\/p>\n
Scenes of the rioting that day have littered ads for Democratic candidates over the years, but Hogan is likely the only Republican in the country to feature them as he seeks to distinguish himself from the former president in a deep blue state. The ad is part of an almost $8 million blitz Hogan has reserved for the fall as he battles Angela Alsobrooks, who so far has reserved less than $1 million in ads, according to data from AdImpact.<\/p>\n
\u201cAn early critic of Donald Trump,\u201d a narrator says, as headlines from The Washington Post and Wall Street Journal flash on the screen, describing Hogan as the \u201cun-Trump Republican\u201d and \u201cthe face\u201d of the \u201canti-Trump GOP.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOn January 6, as we watched in horror, Hogan didn\u2019t just talk about defending democracy, he did something \u2014 sending in the Maryland National Guard to protect the Capitol,\u201d the narrator says, as video shows rioters storming the Capitol.<\/p>\n
As he seeks to burnish his brand as GOP-bucking maverick, the former governor on Wednesday will headline an event called \u201cWatergate at 50: Lessons in Protecting Democracy\u201d to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the end of the Watergate scandal. Hogan\u2019s father, Lawrence Hogan, was the only Republican in Congress to vote for all three House articles of impeachment against President Richard M. Nixon, who resigned Aug. 8, 1974.<\/p>\n
Democrats outnumber Republicans by 2 to 1 in Maryland, and Hogan needs a large swath of Democratic voters to cross party lines in November to beat Alsobrooks, the Prince Georges County executive who if elected would be the state\u2019s first Black senator. Hogan, who left office with a high favorability rating, has leaned heavily into his reputation as a Trump critic as he battles for the seat.<\/p>\n
\u201cRepublicans can\u2019t count on my vote,\u201d he said in one early ad.<\/p>\n
Hogan skipped the Republican National Convention and has said he will not vote for Trump this fall. For his part, Trump has said he hopes Hogan wins to help the GOP take back control of the chamber.<\/p>\n
Alsobrooks has sought to remind voters that Hogan has described himself as a \u201clifelong Republican\u201d in advertisements, that Trump has endorsed Hogan and that his election could throw the balance of the Senate to Republicans. \u201cWe have the power to determine which party controls the Senate,\u201d she says in one ad.<\/p>\n
Alsobrooks, who counts Vice President Kamala Harris as a mentor, has benefited from a surge of grassroots enthusiasm since Harris replaced President Joe Biden at the top of the party\u2019s ticket.<\/p>\n
A recent AARP poll shows the race in a dead heat, with 7 percent of voters undecided. Only 32 percent of voters said they planned to vote for Trump, with Hogan outperforming him by 40 net points among Democrats and independents.<\/p>\n
Senate Democrats are seeking to defend their slim 51-seat majority this November as they play defense across a slew of expensive red and purple states such as Ohio and Pennsylvania. Maryland was not expected to be on the map until Hogan\u2019s late surprise announcement that he would seek to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin.<\/p>\n
Still, Hogan\u2019s campaign thinks its biggest challenge is \u201creassuring voters who already trust and like Governor Hogan but are concerned about the national Republican agenda,\u201d according to a recent strategy memo sent to supporters by campaign strategist Russ Schriefer.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur research indicates that these voters will support the Governor when they are reminded about his commitments and track record of independent leadership,\u201d he wrote. \u201cOur campaign has built the resources to reach these voters with winning messages.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hogan has vowed he would be a \u201cpro-choice\u201d senator as Democrats warn a GOP-led Congress could try to ban abortion nationally.<\/p>\n
Hogan was repeatedly rebuffed by the Defense Department when he tried to send the National Guard to the Capitol, he previously told The Post. More than 90 minutes after his initial request, the secretary of the Army called asking the Maryland Guardsmen to \u201ccome as soon as possible.\u201d Hogan held Trump \u201cresponsible\u201d for \u201cinciting\u201d the mob.<\/p>\n
Hogan\u2019s new ad also touts his experience battling cancer, his handling of the Baltimore riots and balancing the budget.<\/p>\n
Erin Cox contributed to this report.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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