Former Gov. Larry Hogan (R) came to Rockville on Monday for the latest stop on his bus tour around Maryland, saying he would prioritize support of small businesses and push for bipartisanship if elected to the U.S. Senate.
Hogan visited Twin Valley Distillers at 1029 E. Gude Drive as part of his 10-day “Back to Work Bus Tour,” which began Friday. Hogan said he’s made around 30 stops in the past few days.
Hogan is seeking the Republican nomination in the race to replace Sen. Ben Cardin (D), who is retiring. Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks and U.S. Rep. David Trone (D-Dist. 8) are the frontrunners for the Democratic nomination in the May 14 primary election.
Hogan told the dozens of people gathered at the distillery that he strives to represent every part of the state but would focus on targeting specific issues facing businesses in Montgomery County, including tax hikes and regulations.
“It’s one of the greatest counties in the country with real opportunity and great income and great schools, but we’re chasing out a lot of businesses,” Hogan said. “We’re losing a lot of jobs to Virginia and we’re not fixing the roads.”
Bill Rozek, a board member of the Montgomery County Small Business Association, helped organize Monday’s event. He said that transparency is key, explaining that “it’s good for the candidates to hear what the businesses are doing and the businesses to hear what they’re willing to do.”
Carol Petrov, vice president and senior relationship manager at Kendall Capital, a wealth management firm in Rockville, said she attended the event because “a lot of our clients are small business owners who have been following Larry Hogan’s work as our governor and are very interested to hear how he thinks he can improve things on Capitol Hill.”
She also praised Hogan’s “roll up your sleeves and get stuff done” attitude and said she is supporting him because of his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and his problem-solving skills. Hogan was governor of Maryland from 2015 to 2023.
Edgardo Zuniga, owner of Twin Valley Distillers, which produces spirits like whiskey, bourbon and rum, said it was “an honor” to have Hogan at his business. Zuniga said he is supporting the former governor’s bid for the Senate because of his views on manufacturing and how he can serve as a middle-ground between the two polarized parties in Congress.
“He may bring a little bit more sense to the Senate by being in the middle,” Zuniga said. “As governor, he was able to find comprise [between] the two parties.”
Hogan said one of his top priorities on Capitol Hill would be to ensure that bipartisan legislation can get passed and to mitigate the constant gridlock between the parties.
He also said he is not deterred by the challenge of running as a Republican on the same ticket as President Joe Biden (D).
“If people vote straight down the party line, I’m going to lose. If people vote with their conscience and vote for who they think would actually go down there and represent everybody and be a bipartisan common-sense voice of reason, then I’m going to go win,” Hogan said.
