Maryland Senate Minority Leader Steve Hershey said Tuesday he will not run for governor and will instead remain in the state Senate, saying the state's biggest policy fights are playing out in the legislature.
"After careful reflection, I have decided not to pursue a run for governor and will instead focus on continuing to serve in the Maryland Senate," Hershey said in a statement on X.
Hershey said he is "deeply grateful for the encouragement from across the state," but said Maryland's "biggest battles" center on "affordability, energy costs, and fiscal responsibility."
"I believe I can make the greatest difference as Senate Minority Leader," he said, adding that he plans to seek reelection in District 36.
Hershey previously took steps toward a potential 2026 gubernatorial bid, forming an exploratory committee and framing the possible run as an effort to restore "balance" in a state he said has moved "so far to the left" under the Democrats' control, reports Maryland Matters.
At the time, Hershey said he expected to decide before the end of the year whether he would challenge Democrat Gov. Wes Moore, whom he acknowledged was all but certain to be his party's nominee.
Hershey said he had been approached by supporters about running and said he believed it was necessary to provide voters with real competition.
He added that his decision to form the exploratory committee crystallized after Baltimore businessman Ed Hale Sr. announced he would switch parties and run for governor as a Republican.
"One of the biggest concerns that I do have is I very much enjoy and appreciate the honor of representing District 36 as a state senator," Hershey said at the time. "I am not willing to easily give up the opportunity to continue doing that."
According to the Maryland Board of Elections, Republicans seeking the primary nomination are Carl A. Brunner, Jr., L.D. Burkindine, Dan Cox, Ed Hale, John A. Myrick, Michael Oakes, Nancy Jane Taylor, and Kurt Wedekind.
Democrats vying against Moore for the nod, as of Tuesday, are Eric S. Felber, LaTrece Hawkins Lytes, and Ralph Jaffe.
Maryland's primary election is set for June 23, with early voting from June 11-18.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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