Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan is officially his state’s Republican nominee for Senator after a primary victory Tuesday night. Hogan’s candidacy made what would normally be an easy win for Democrats one of the most competitive races in the country. 

Democrats outnumber Republicans 2-1 in Maryland, but Hogan served two terms as governor and left office with a 77% approval rating. 

This race is key for Republicans who are trying to retake the Senate majority. But in a 2024 election landscape where everything is about Trump, in Hogan, Republicans are relying on one of Trump’s most outspoken critics. Hogan has declared on a number of occasions, “I’m going to do everything I can to stop Donald Trump”. 

That doesn’t bother Republican Senators Straight Arrow News spoke with, including one of Trump’s closest allies Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. 

“I welcome whatever gets us in the majority. I don’t care if he’s a vegetarian, it doesn’t matter to me,” Graham said. “If he wants to run as a Republican, he’s a great guy, he’d be a good addition to the team. You know, there’s no litmus test for me.”

“I’m glad that he’s running because he’s doing really well in the polls,” Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said. “So I wish him well and I just say I welcome him to the United States Senate. I welcome one more vote to get us to the majority.”

Polling has been too inconsistent to get a sense of where the race stands. 

A recent poll from Emerson College shows Hogan down ten points to his opponent Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks. An April poll sponsored by local news organizations and the University of Maryland showed Hogan up 18 points. 

A recent poll from Emerson College shows Hogan down eleven points to his opponent Congressman David Trone. An April poll sponsored by local news organizations and the University of Maryland showed Hogan up 13 points. 

One thing is clear – both parties will pour a lot of effort and money into this race. Maryland Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen previously told SAN he’s confident his party will prevail. 

“I don’t discount the fact that it will be a competitive race. It will be a very expensive race with the former governor in,” Van Hollen said. “But Marylanders will understand very clearly that a vote for Larry Hogan is a vote to put the MAGA right-wing Republicans into control in the United States Senate.”

Regardless of whether Hogan wins, he will impact the 2024 election nationwide. The Democratic party will have to spend a lot of money on this race to win, money that would normally be spent on other battleground states.