Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) said he won’t endorse anyone in the race to replace him.
During an appearance on CBS’s “Face The Nation,” moderator Major Garrett asked Hogan about the race between Trump-backed GOP nominee Dan Cox and Democratic challenger Wes Moore.
Hogan has called Cox, a state lawmaker, a “Qanon whack job” and “a nut”. Cox beat Hogan’s preferred candidate, former Commerce Secretary Kelly Schulz, in the GOP primary.
“When people ask me a question, I usually give them a direct answer. And I you know, made it very clear that this guy should not be the nominee and he shouldn’t be governor,” Hogan told Garrett.
“I’m not getting involved in endorsing in the race. But this is not just Maryland. This is happening across the country. This is something that, it’s why Mitch McConnell is saying that we may not win the Senate,” Hogan added of the success of pro-Trump election deniers in this year’s primary cycle.
“It’s why we were hoping to pick up seats in governor’s races and now we’re not. It’s why we’re- we’re the margin in the House is so much smaller.”
McConnell drew Trump’s ire last week when he predicted the fight for control of the Senate would be tight, citing the importance of candidate quality in the statewide races.
What was once expected to be a “red wave” in the midterms, due to soaring inflations and President Biden’s low approval ratings, is now expected to be a much smaller GOP gain in the House, and a toss-up in the Senate.
Hogan, whose second term as governor ends in January, has been an outspoken Trump critic amid speculation that he is considering a 2024 presidential run.
However, he reiterated on Sunday that he’s focused on finishing his term as governor.