Posted on 10/11/24
| News Source: FOX45
Baltimore, MD - Oct. 11, 2024 - The race for Maryland’s open U.S. Senate seat continues to be one to watch, with many electeds, politicos and others believing the winner could determine what political party holds majority control.
Republican U.S. Senate candidate and former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan attended FOX45’s U.S. Senate Candidate Forum Thursday evening hosted by Political Reporter Mikenzie Frost. Democratic U.S. Senate Candidate and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks was also invited to participate and FOX45 News made every attempt to accommodate her schedule, but she did not participate.
The questions ranged from Hogan’s history on abortion access, transportation and Baltimore’s Red Line project, foreign policy, democracy, and immigration.
However, to begin, Hogan was asked about new reporting from Time released Oct. 10 that outlines how Hogan allegedly approved millions in housing awards for his own real-estate firm’s clients while serving as governor through the state’s Board of Public Works contract approval process.
Hogan said, “there’s absolutely nothing to any of it” and called the article “complete nonsense.”
The former governor accused Time’s Eric Cortellessa of fabricating the report’s information.
There’s no truth to the story, and it’s completely made up,” assured Hogan. “The information is all false."
On abortion, Hogan vowed that, if elected U.S. senator, he would co-sponsor a bill to codify Roe v. Wade and a bill to protect access to IVF.
“So that no one can come between a woman and her doctor in any state in America,” Hogan said.
In 2022, Hogan vetoed legislation to expand who could provide abortions in Maryland, such as midwives, nurse practitioners, and other non-physician medical professionals. After Democrats – who hold a super-majority in the General Assembly – voted to override Hogan’s veto, Hogan withheld funding for a program that would train practitioners to perform the procedure.
When asked about this, Hogan maintained the legislation would “lower the standards of care”
“It was not just doctors and physician-assistants and nurses, but allowing unlicensed medical professionals, like midwives, to perform abortions. A lot of people thought that was unsafe,” Hogan said.
Throughout the campaign, Alsobrooks has argued that Hogan’s personal stance on abortion would not stop a GOP-controlled Senate from limiting access to abortion.
To that, Hogan said that there is “very little chance of Democrats being in charge of the Senate” regardless of if he loses the race. The candidate vowed to join Republicans senators, such as Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins, to “make sure” that they protect women’s access to abortion.
“There's probably no other Republican in America that stood up more to Donald Trump and the MAGA agenda than me,” added Hogan. “I have never been afraid to stand up and never will be.”
In the past, Hogan said that if elected to the U.S. Senate, he would certify the 2024 election results regardless of who wins the presidential race. Asked if he believes that the certification of this year’s election is in jeopardy, the candidate responded, “I sure hope not.”
“When the Capitol was under attack, the leaders of Congress reached out to me, desperately looking for help, and I was the first one to send help. The Maryland State Police and Maryland National Guard were the first to arrive to defend democracy. I hope we never see anything like it again,” said Hogan.
The former governor also said that, even though former President Donald Trump endorsed him, he will not be voting for either presidential candidate.
“Neither of these candidates has earned my vote, and I've never in my life voted for someone I didn't believe in,” said Hogan.
When it comes to foreign policy, Hogan has been a staunch supporter of Israel and its response to the Oct. 7 attack. Hogan defended Israel’s attacks on Palestine, arguing that the country “has every right to try to defend its right to exist and keep itself safe.”
Hogan said he supports sending aid to Israel and Ukraine.
“I believe strongly that we should stand up for our allies, especially in a case like this, when they're trying to defend themselves,” Hogan said. “Our friends are worried about whether we're going to be there for them, and we have to let them know we are going to, otherwise it's going to widen and escalate. In Ukraine, it’s going to go to a NATO country next if we don't stop Putin, and then we're going to have American boots on the ground, which no one wants to see.”
Hogan also criticized Trump’s relationship with Vladimir Putin. “I don't know what his fascination is with dictators, but he spent a lot of time with Kim Jong Un. He seems to admire these powerful figures.”
As for immigration policy, Hogan has frequently talked about the importance of crafting a comprehensive immigration policy. The candidate said he has traveled to the border himself, and stated the issue is “much worse than we can imagine” and advocated for bi-partisan solutions.
We have to get Republicans and Democrats to stop blaming each other and sitting down with real comprehensive immigration reform, which they've been talking about for a decade,” he said. “That's why I think somebody like me, a bipartisan leader that's willing to stand up and try to work across the aisle, I think, you know, I helped get the bipartisan infrastructure deal done, I think the next one we could work on is fixing our broken immigration system, which is critically important."
When it comes to transportation policy, critics often point to Hogan’s disapproval of Baltimore’s Red Line transit project; he returned money to the federal government while governor for the east-to-west public transportation plan.
Since taking office, current Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat, revived the Red Line plan. It’s unclear how much the project will cost, and the federal government is expected to foot the bill for at least part of the project.
If elected to the U.S. Senate, Hogan doubled down on that stance and said he would not make funding for the Red Line a priority. Rather, he said, it’s important to invest in rebuilding the Francis Scott Key Bridge, the Howard Street Tunnel, and the Frederick Douglass tunnel.
“Well, I think those are three really important, big ones that are going to transform Baltimore. You know, once we get all those things done, I'd be happy to take a look at if there's other funding available,” said Hogan.
Ultimately, Hogan has an uphill battle to win this election. The latest UMBC Poll shows Hogan with a 9-point deficit and Maryland is a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans some 2-1. However, Hogan described himself as an underdog and noted that the only poll that matters is on election day.
Hogan left voters with a bipartisan message, saying he cares more about the “red, white and blue” than “red vs. blue.”
“I'm trying to convince people to put people over politics. I'm putting country over party, and I'm hoping that Maryland voters will consider doing this,” he said during his closing statement.
Early voting in Maryland begins Oct. 24 and runs through Oct. 31. Polls are open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. during early voting, and on Election Day.