Larry Hogan is the "un-Trump Republican," his 1st Maryland U.S. Senate TV ad of fall declares

"Never Backs Down" isn't the most original slogan to be employed by former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan in his current campaign for U.S. Senate, as Ron DeSantis would likely agree. But Hogan's first TV spot for the fall campaign season does manage to come up with a more unique qualifier for an anti-Trump candidate like himself: "The un-Trump Republican." It's not all that new or original, either (the ad cites The Washington Post, and the phrase has been employed by outlets as diverse as Al Jazeera and The New York Times, among others), but is far less often invoked than "Never-Trump Republican." The latter term has failed to convert many mega-MAGA "irredeemables" back to the Bush Republican fold so far.

Using the phrase makes clear that voters in Hillary Clinton's fabled basket of deplorables are not the target audience for this ad. The spot plays up examples of "Hogan's radically normal model for the GOP," such as blocking tax increases every year he was the executive of Maryland, lowering tolls on state bridges, and leaving a large budget surplus for his successor Wes Moore. Major challenges Hogan faced while in office are also highlighted, ranging from the pandemic and Baltimore riots that followed the death of Freddy Gray, to his own personal cancer diagnosis and recovery.

"Now more than ever, we need strong independent leadership in Washington who will never back down to the extremes and the party bosses," Hogan tweeted in introducing the ad Tuesday. "That’s exactly what I did as your Governor, and that is exactly what I will do in the United States Senate." 

Hogan's Democratic opponent, Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, has already begun an ad blitz worthy of the deep-pocketed primary opponent she vanquished earlier this year. Prior to his defeat, David Trone was an inescapable presence not only on TV screens, but in his relentless, un-skippable YouTube ads. Alsobrooks' ad focuses on her central message to juice turnout in a majority-Democrat state: that the winner of the Alsobrooks-Hogan contest may determine which party controls the U.S. Senate this coming January.