CHESTER, Md. (AP) — Republican Jon Michael hasn't always been a fan of Larry Hogan, who has been one of the GOP's sharpest critics of Donald Trump, but he voted for Hogan for U.S.
Senate. Democrat Diane Stokes crossed party lines to vote for Hogan to be Maryland's governor, but she's not supporting him this time. Both are quick to point out the high stakes in the race between Hogan and Democrat Angela Alsobrooks in a deeply blue state.
As early voting began on a breezy autumn day last week, Marylanders began sorting through a swirl of conflicting sentiment. On the Eastern Shore, a rural part of the state that is more conservative than Maryland's larger population centers, some Trump-loyal Republicans wrestled with their unease about Hogan, while others voted for him with enthusiasm. On the other side of the Chesapeake Bay, some Democrats in Annapolis weighed their fondness for Hogan against their fears of contributing to a Republican Senate majority .
Michael, who describes himself as a far-right voter, was unhappy about Hogan's write-in vote of former President Ronald Reagan instead of Trump for president in 2020. He didn't agree with Hogan's COVID-19 policies, either. But Michael said he believes Hogan is good for Maryland overall, especially compared to the alternative.
“I think the Republican Party needs to be in power," Michael, 54, said at an early voting center on Kent Island on the bay, a gateway to the Eastern Shore. "While I’m not a fan of Larry Hogan in all r.
