Splitting Anti-Trump Vote 'pretty Good Reason' Not To Run In 2024, Says Larry Hogan

Former Maryland governor Larry Hogan argued that the risk of dividing anti-Trump Republicans and aiding the former president in winning the nomination once more "would be a pretty good reason to consider not running" for the White House in 2024.

"I don't care that much about my future in the Republican party," Hogan said on Sunday. "I care about making sure we have a future for the Republican party."

"And if we can stop Donald Trump and elect a great Republican common-sense conservative leader, that certainly would be a factor," he added.

Hogan being a relative moderate in a GOP marched far right, has long been considered to likely run. He told the media that he would decide whether to do so, as "a small government common-sense conservative", in a "relatively short period of time," most likely this spring.

The only two declared candidates so far are Donald Trump and Nikki Haley, a former governor of South Carolina. Polling has shown Haley splitting a non-Trump vote dominated by Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida, thereby handing Trump the win, The Guardian reported.

When he originally won the nomination in 2016, Trump did not receive support from the majority of voters. Hogan hardly even registers in polls for 2024.

NBC asked Hogan about the culture war concerns that have dominated DeSantis' campaign, particularly those pertaining to education and LGBTQ+ issues.

Hogan said, "I was a Republican governor in the bluest state in America and got things done, working across the aisle with Democrats. So I can tell you, it's not what everyone's talking about."

"But I think some people are making the calculation that base primary voters in the Trump Lane, that's what they want to hear about. And so a lot of candidates are focusing on that. You can't dismiss it, but I don't think it should be the only thing we're talking about," he added.

Haley claimed that DeSantis' so-called "don't say gay" law, which limits the way that gender and sexual orientation are taught in primary schools, does not go "far enough."

She claims she is primarily interested in criticizing Joe Biden and has declined to comment on other Republican contenders, including Trump.

Hogan was asked about Republican attempts to have candidates commit to supporting the eventual nominee.

"I think it's kind of silly because it's not going to happen," he said. "We already know President Trump has said numerous times he refuses to" do so.

"If they say you're not going to be on the debate stage if you won't commit to supporting the nominee, then President Trump won't be on the debate stage. And I don't think anybody believes that's going to happen," he added.

Pointing to Michigan, an electoral battleground where a backer of Trump's election fraud falsehood was elected leader of the state party on Saturday, Hogan said, "There's a lot of misinformation out there. And I am concerned about some of the parties."

"And people are taking over that are believing conspiracy theories. And I think we've got to get back to a bigger-tent party that can appeal to more people, otherwise, we're going to keep losing elections."

In 2020, while still in office, Hogan publicly refused to support Trump. He did not vote for Biden, however, writing in "Ronald Reagan" instead.

On Sunday, Hogan said he wanted "to support the nominee of the party, whoever that is. However, I've said before I didn't support Trump, I wouldn't support Trump. I put the country ahead of the party and not somebody [who] should not be the president."