Larry Hogan is the kind of Republican who can be elected to statewide office in Maryland, which places him to the left of most of the Republican Party. He has put himself firmly among those not enamored of Donald Trump, and since it looks like Trump will be nominated for a second term at the Republican National Convention, the former governor and current Senate candidate is opting out.

Hogan’s campaign confirmed to The Hill that the the former governor will not be attending the GOP’s July convention in Milwaukee, Wis. The convention, where former President Trump is expected to be picked as the party’s official nominee, will take place July 15-18. 

The former governor did not attend the party’s conventions in 2016 and 2020. 

Hogan, a staunch Trump critic, is running against Angela Alsobrooks (D), Prince George’s County chief executive. Alsobrooks beat Rep. David Trone (Md.) for the Democratic nomination last month, in one of the most expensive Senate primary races in the country. 

Mr. Hogan has not been a fan of Trump, and since last week's infamous Manhattan trial verdict, he hasn't been making any new friends in the ranks of the GOP.

The announcement comes after Hogan alienated some of Trump’s top allies last week when he urged voters to “respect the verdict and the legal process” minutes before the decision in the former president’s first criminal case came down. 

Chris LaCivita, Trump’s campaign manager, shot back at Hogan, saying, “You just ended your campaign.” Republican National Committee co-Chair Lara Trump said the Maryland politician “doesn’t deserve the respect of anyone in the Republican Party at this point and, quite frankly, anybody in America.”

However vexing a squishy Republican like Larry Hogan (or Mitt Romney, or Susan Collins, or the Great Land's own Princess Lisa Murkowski) can be, there's a strategic element to consider here.

See Related: Larry Hogan Proclaims His Stance on Abortion As Maryland's Senate Race Kicks Off 

Trump Campaign Tells Larry Hogan His Lack of Support for Trump After His Conviction 'Ended Your Campaign'

While Hogan is probably well-advised to skip the convention, as it will be an all-Trump, all-the-time affair - and justifiably so, as he's already the presumptive nominee - he would nevertheless be better in the Senate than a Democrat. Senator JD Vance gets it:

Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), who is a contender for Trump’s vice presidential pick, said it was “totally reasonable to criticize” Hogan for his post last week, but the Ohio senator acknowledged that Hogan is running in a Democrat-heavy state that President Biden won with a 33-point margin in 2020. 

“He obviously is going to run a different campaign than I would run,” Vance said. “I still hope he wins.”

Assuming for the moment that President Trump wins his second term, and the House of Representatives stays in the Republicans' hands - a GOP majority in the Senate will likewise be required before any substantive action can be taken to fix the goat-you-know-what that the Biden administration has committed in the last three-and-a-half years. To do that, we may need every seat, and as the majority controls the agenda, from committee assignments to deciding which bills will be voted on and which will be round-filed, a squishy Republican in one seat is better than any Democrat.

Tensions are high this year, and we've come a long way since Ronald Reagan coined his 11th Commandment: "Thou shalt never speak ill of another Republican."

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