Anti-Trump Republican Larry Hogan navigates dangerous political terrain in pivotal Senate contest
Larry Hogan has transformed Maryland’s sleepy Senate race into a top-tier contest in the fight for the Senate majority
STEVENSVILLE, Md. (AP) — Andy DePaola welcomed Larry Hogan to his family's restaurant with a big smile and a handshake. The warning came a few minutes later.
DePaola, the 64-year-old namesake of DePaola's Bagel and Brunch here in Maryland’s conservative Eastern Shore, whispered to a reporter that Hogan better avoid disparaging former President Donald Trump.
“I'm a Trumper,” DePaola said as Hogan posed for pictures and made small talk with the excited breakfast crowd on a recent Friday morning. "I think Larry would be better off if he kept how he felt about Trump under his breath.”
The brief exchange during a weeks-long bus tour illustrates a stark political reality for the popular Republican former governor, who has single-handedly transformed Maryland's sleepy Senate race into a top-tier contest in the national fight for the Senate majority. Hogan, who was perhaps the most outspoken anti-Trump Republican governor in the nation, can ill afford to lose any pieces of his delicate and diverse political coalition.