Larry Hogan makes appeal to split-ticket Harris voters in deep-blue Maryland

Former Gov. Larry Hogan , who is under no illusions that he needs a groundswell of support from Democrats as the Republican Senate nominee in Maryland, is making a final appeal to supporters of Vice President Kamala Harris.

A new ad from the former two-term centrist GOP governor released Thursday cut to the heart of his pitch against Democratic opponent Angela Alsobrooks .

“As a Democrat for president, I know who I’m voting for. That’s easy. But Senate: Alsobrooks or Hogan?” a woman identified as a Harris voter says. “They’re both pro-choice. Hogan cut taxes, tolls, and fees in Maryland. I liked Hogan. He works with both parties. He finds commonsense solutions. Alsobrooks would support her party 100% of the time, even their most extreme positions.”

She continued: “This isn’t complicated. I’m splitting my ticket. Harris and Hogan.”

Hogan has branded himself on the campaign trail in the closely watched Maryland Senate race as an independent voice with a track record of bucking both parties who opposes Harris and former President Donald Trump.

Alsobrooks, the top elected official in Prince George’s County as county executive, has closely aligned herself with Harris and embraces her national party’s agenda . Congressional Democrats who once praised Hogan for his bipartisanship have tried to rebrand him as a fake never-Trumper and an enabler of conservative firebrands such as Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC).

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Despite his popularity as governor and an early lead in the polls after first entering the race, Hogan appears headed for defeat. Three polls this month showed him trailing Alsobrooks by double digits, and nonpartisan election forecasters rate the seat “likely Democrat.”

“Hogan’s talk about bipartisanship is nothing but empty rhetoric,” the Maryland Democratic Party said of Hogan’s latest ad. “Instead of standing up to Donald Trump, Hogan has suggested he may once again vote for a ‘deceased individual.’”