Earlier today, the former No Labels national co-chair, Governor Larry Hogan, announced that he is running for the Senate in Maryland in 2024.
Everyone in the No Labels movement should be ecstatic about this news.
With the collapse this week of a bipartisan package to secure our border and send aid for Ukraine and Israel, it’s never been clearer Washington needs more bipartisan problem solvers.
That’s exactly what Governor Hogan is. As a senator, he can become a pivotal leader of the bipartisan and bicameral governing coalition that No Labels has worked so hard to develop over the last decade.
Governor Hogan has an unmatched track record of delivering commonsense leadership. A Republican who served for eight years as governor of Maryland (the most Democratic-leaning state in the country), he left office early last year with a 77 percent approval rating.
During his tenure, he managed to cut taxes and make historic investments in education and transportation while moving the state from a $5 billion budget deficit to a $5 billion budget surplus. And his leadership extended well beyond Maryland.
In fact, he played a key role in facilitating passage of the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure bill. In April of that year, he invited a bipartisan group of senators, house members and governors to the Maryland governor’s mansion to hash out a framework for infrastructure legislation.
The framework the attendees agreed to that day helped guide the development and ultimate passage of the bill months later. Don’t just take my word for it either.
What our community is saying:
Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) says, “Larry Hogan was a Republican Governor with a Democratic controlled legislature. He was also highly effective leaving office with a 77% approval rating. Living proof that when the concerns of citizens are put first, the common ground allows things to get done.”
Problem Solvers Caucus co-chair Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) says, “Our nation needs more problem solvers from both sides of the aisle to run for office. We welcome the news of another from Maryland, Governor Larry Hogan, who has done admirable work building bridges in his role at No Labels, particularly in the area of infrastructure investments. The voters of Maryland will benefit from the addition of Governor Hogan’s voice in this campaign, as the Maryland voters decide the future of their state and their nation.“
Problem Solvers Caucus member Congressman Jared Golden (D-ME) says, “Who the next Senator from Maryland will be is a choice for the people of Maryland. But America needs good people in Congress who will serve for the common good of the country while placing loyalty to constituents above party affiliation. I valued working with Governor Hogan in the past and I’m glad to see that he is willing to offer to serve once again.”
As you know, No Labels has spent a lot of time working on our 2024 ballot access project to create the opening for a Unity presidential ticket. But we have also continued our work to support and bring together brave problem solvers in the House and Senate. That work will continue long after our ballot access project is over.
It’s certainly been a dispiriting stretch in Washington, with Congress seeming to plummet to new depths of dysfunction.
But we always have to look for light amid the darkness and today brings us hopeful news.
Governor Hogan has a chance to be a great senator and to deliver the kind of commonsense leadership America desperately needs.
.
