Campaign

Hogan raised around $6 million over last two years as he mulls White House bid

by Stephen Neukam - 02/09/23 2:53 PM ET

Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan has laid a fundraising infrastructure that helped him rake in nearly $6 million in the last two years, according to a person familiar with his fundraising operation, as the moderate Republican toys with a White House bid in 2024.

Hogan has opened a federal PAC and a 501(c)(4) organization called “An America United,” among other fundraising ventures, to raise money as he considers running for president. While he has spent considerable time in early primary states like New Hampshire and Iowa, he has yet to declare his intention to run.

But he has compiled an initial war chest of around $6 million, raising money as he left office in Maryland after two terms as a Republican governor in a blue state. Hogan has long been a foil of former President Trump and is one of a number of moderate Republicans who could look to oppose the former president in a 2024 primary.

Hogan raised over $500,000 from his federal Better Path Forward PAC over the past year. He also raised nearly $2.1 million in 2021 from An America United.

Last week, Hogan said on conservative talk radio host Hugh Hewitt’s show that he was “seriously considering” a run for president, saying he would make a decision fairly soon.

During his time in Maryland, Hogan maintained high approval ratings and declined to endorse the Trump-backed Republican candidate for governor in the state as he left office, standing by as now-Gov. Wes Moore (D) won the election handily.

He was also drafted by Senate Republican leadership in 2022 to run for a Senate seat, but declined.

Hogan is not the only potential GOP alternative to Trump in 2024. Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, the onetime U.S. ambassador to the United Nations who has long been considered a potential White House hopeful, is expected to announce her candidacy in the coming weeks. And Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has emerged as one of the country’s leading conservative voices in recent years and is believed to be planning a 2024 bid as well.