Hogan won't challenge....

Maryland Gov. Hogan won't challenge Trump for Republican nomination

By ALEX ISENSTADT

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan will not challenge Donald Trump in a 2020 GOP primary, leaving the president’s Republican critics with few options to prevent his renomination.

Hogan’s decision, first reported Saturday afternoon by The Washington Post, was confirmed by three people close to him.

The popular two-term governor had been weighing a challenge to the president and had received encouragement from "Never Trump" Republicans, including conservative commentator William Kristol. Hogan, who won reelection in liberal Maryland last year by a landslide, has cast himself as one of the few prominent Republican officeholders willing to speak out against the president.

But those close to the 63-year-old have long acknowledged that a 2020 primary run was unlikely. Trump remains wildly popular with the Republican base, and his reelection team has launched a comprehensive effort to ensure delegates to the 2020 Republican National Convention support him.

In a statement that stressed bipartisanship, Hogan said he was dedicated to serving his terms as Maryland governor and chairman of the National Governors Association. “I believe both of those roles will give me the opportunity to make an impact on the direction of my party and the nation.”

Yet with Hogan's newfound visibility, his team believes he has jump-started preparations for a potential 2024 White House run. The governor is at work on a book and on Saturday announced an outside group called An America United, which “rejects the extremes of both political parties, works to break the partisan gridlock and seeks to bring people together to advance bold, commonsense solutions for all Americans.”

Hogan is set to appear next week on a panel at the E2 Summit in Deer Valley, Utah, an annual retreat hosted by Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah).

Hogan is not the only Republican starting to lay the groundwork for a run when Trump is out of office. Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley has launched an outside group of her own and has a memoir coming out later this year.

With Hogan’s decision, Trump’s path to the Republican nomination is virtually unimpeded. Former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld announced his candidacy earlier this year, though he has so far gained little traction.