Larry Hogan Files for Governor's Race, Plans to Use Public Financing

Republican Larry Hogan of Edgewater formally filed for the GOP primary for Maryland governor, and said he will use public campaign financing in the campaign.

Hogan’s running mate is attorneyBoyd Rutherford of Columbia.

To qualify for public funding for the campaign, Hogan must raise about $258,600 in contributions of $250 or less from individuals, reportsWJZ TV.

Hogan is running against Harford County Executive David Craig and Del. Ron George for the Republican party’s nomination. Charles Lollar and Brian Vaeth also are running for the Republican nomination.

Hogan is the second candidate to use public financing in the governor’s race. Democrat Heather Mizeur also is using the public financing option, the TV station reports.

 “The matching funds level the playing field for grassroots campaigns like ours and enables us to compete with the out of touch monopoly in Annapolis,” Hogan’s campaign said in a news releas.

 “I also want to make it perfectly clear. No tax dollars are used in the Fair Campaign Financing Fund,” said Rutherford.

Maryland’s Fair Campaign Financing program is not funded by taxpayer dollars. Instead, it relies on voluntary donations made by Marylanders on their State personal income tax form before the option was removed by the legislature in 2010. 

A business owner for over 25 years, Hogan serve as a cabinet secretary in the Ehrlich Administration, and founded Change Maryland, focused on bringing fiscal responsibility and common sense policies to Annapolis.

Rutherford is an attorney who has served as the assistant secretary for Administration at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, associate administrator of the GSA, as well as the Secretary of the Maryland Department of General Services.