Former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan (R) said he would support codifying Roe v. Wade abortion protections. Wade and called himself “pro-choice” in a new interview as he seeks Democratic support in his showdown against Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks (D).
Your comments to The New York Times it came just two days after he secured the Republican nomination for Maryland’s open Senate seat.
“I support restoring Roe as the law of the land,” Hogan said in an interview published Thursday. “I will continue to protect women’s rights to make their own reproductive choices, as I did as governor for eight years.”
The former two-term governor did not commit to supporting legislation that would sign abortion rights into law when asked about the issue in March. He said he would not sign a federal abortion ban, but would not go into detail about how he would vote on regarding legislation to codify Roe v. Wade. Wade, as specified in the 1973 Supreme Court decision.
But he said in the latest interview that voters can trust him to protect abortion rights as senator — a position that would put him at odds with most of his party.
“I think Marylanders know and trust that when I give them my word, I will keep it, and I have protected those rights before,” he said. “And I will do so again in the Senate, supporting a bipartisan commitment to restore Roe as the law of the land.”
Hogan was asked if he would consider himself “pro-life” or “pro-choice.”
“Given the definition of what I support — women’s rights to make their own decisions — I would say that’s pro-choice,” Hogan told The Times.
The moderate Republican immediately began courting Democratic support following his primary victory. President Biden carried Maryland by more than 30 points in the last presidential election and is seeking to replace Senator Ben Cardin, a Democrat who joined the Senate in 2007.
Alsobrooks defeated Democratic Rep. David Trone (Md.) on Tuesday in the state’s contentious Democratic primary. Alsobrooks, who aims to become the first Black woman to represent the Old Line State in the upper chamber, received support from a group of Democrats on Capitol Hill on her way to winning the party’s race.
Hogan this week promoted praise from several Democrats. In a video released Wednesday, his campaign showcased past praise from prominent Democrats, some of whom have endorsed Alsobrooks for November.
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