Gov. Hogan Tells CNN He Will Reassess 2024 Presidential Bid Next Year

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Gov. Larry Hogan told CNN Sunday he believes the state Board of Education will end its mask mandate for schools in the coming week.

The two-term Republic governor appeared on "State of the Union" with Jake Tapper to discuss Maryland’s COVID-19 response, including masking in schools, his presidential aspirations and the state of the Republican Party.

Maryland has the lowest COVID case rate in the country, the governor said.

"We lifted our statewide mask mandate last May, but the school systems — which are autonomous and have their own authority — I don't really have direct control over them. But we're recommending very strongly that they lift it,” Hogan said. "I believe our schools, our State Board of Education, is going to act in the next week or so, to move forward and take masks off the kids.”

Hogan criticized the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for confusing guidance on virus protections and delayed decision-making. Most of the country's governors support lifting COVID restrictions and finding a way to live with the virus.

"The kids have suffered so much, and I think the CDC will likely have to take action," Hogan said.

Maryland will give away $2 million in prizes to residents who have gotten the COVID-19 booster shot, Gov. Larry Hogan said last week. The first drawing is Feb. 15; the winner will collect $500,000.

In weeks two through 11, winners will get $50,000. The week 12 winner will receive $1 million.

The booster shot incentive, called VaxCash 2.0, is the second installment of a similar effort that promoted the initial doses last year. All boosted adult Marylanders will automatically be entered into this promotion.

VaxCash 2.0 will award one weekly prize for 12 straight weeks. The Maryland Lottery will handle the drawings, which are all random. The Maryland Department of Health will contact the winners.

Related: MD COVID: Hogan Announces $2M In Booster Shot Lottery Prizes

Political Next Steps For Hogan?

Hogan said Tuesday he will not run for Democrat Chris Van Hollen's U.S. Senate seat this year, but is sure he could defeat Van Hollen if he entered the race.

The possibility of a presidential run in 2024 remains a possibility for the GOP governor finishing his second term who has been popular with independents and moderate Democrats. Hogan has consistently been a critic of former President Donald Trump, noting publicly that he did not vote for Trump in 2016 or 2020.

On Sunday he told Tapper, he has another year to serve Maryland and wants to be the very best governor he can be. But he will be vocal in urging Republicans to abandon the false claims that Trump won the 2020 presidential election and the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol was a peaceful demonstration.

“I've been speaking out loudly and strongly about this battle for the soul of the party. To say it's legitimate political discourse to attack the seat of our Capitol and smash windows and attack police officers and threaten to hang the vice president and threaten to overthrow the election —it's insanity," Hogan said. "The Republican Party that I want to get back to is the one that believes in freedom and truth and not one that attacks people who don't swear 100 percent fealty to the ‘Dear Leader.’”

"I'm concerned about the direction of the party and the country, and I'll make a decision about 2024 after I finish this job,” Hogan said.

“I consider myself a common sense conservative. I have been a lifelong Republican. I believe that that's where most people in America are," he said. "The latest CNN poll came out and said right now only 50 percent of the Republicans would like to see Donald Trump run again. I believe that there is a pretty large lane of sane Republicans, and they're looking for a voice.”

The Hill reported that Hogan said he'll reassess his plans a year from now.

“We're certainly going to take a look at it after January of '23,” Hogan told Tapper.

COVID-19 Cases, Vaccination Sites This Week

The state's COVID-19 positivity rate continues to drop and was at 4.32 percent on Sunday, according to the state dashboard.

Positivity Rate: 4.32%. Since peaking last month just below 30 percent, Maryland’s COVID-19 positivity rate has declined by more than 80 percent. The state is reporting the fourth-lowest positivity rate in the United States, according to a release from Hogan's office.

Hospitalizations: 823. Since peaking last month just below 3,500, Maryland’s COVID-19 hospitalizations have declined by over 70 percent.

Case Rate: 16.2/100K. Maryland’s COVID-19 case rate has declined by 92 percent, and the state continues to report the country’s lowest case rate, Hogan's office said Friday.

Official data is available at coronavirus.maryland.gov.

The Maryland Department of Health will offer COVID-19 vaccinations at state testing sites this week. Expanding the availability of dedicated locations that offer COVID-19 vaccines is part of Hogan’s Booster Action Plan, which also includes the new VaxCash 2.0 Promotion with the Maryland Lottery to further incentivize Marylanders to get a booster shot.

“Booster shots take your protection against COVID-19 to a different level and dramatically reduce your risk of getting severely ill, being hospitalized, or dying from COVID-19,” said MDH Secretary Dennis R. Schrader in a news release. “Many of the existing state-run COVID-19 testing sites, which were instrumental during the omicron surge, will also serve as locations where Marylanders can get booster shots to maintain their immunity against COVID-19.”

Seven of the state’s existing COVID-19 sites will offer booster shots:

• Lifebridge Health Northwest Hospital in Randallstown, starting on Feb. 17: open Wednesdays and Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital in Leonardtown, starting on Feb. 17: open Thursdays and Fridays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• UM Shore Medical Center at Easton, starting on Feb. 18: open Thursdays and Fridays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• UM Upper Chesapeake Hospital in Bel Air, starting on Feb. 19: open Saturdays and Sundays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• UM Baltimore Washington Medical Center in Glen Burnie, starting on Feb. 20: open Sundays and Mondays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Ascension Saint Agnes Hospital (located at Babe Ruth Field, Gibbons Commons) in Baltimore City, starting on Feb. 20: open Saturdays and Tuesdays, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• University of Maryland Medical Center main campus in Baltimore City, starting on Feb. 22: open Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

In addition, three state-supported sites already offer booster shots:

• State Center Vaccination and Testing Site in Baltimore City: Vaccines available Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, 8 a.m. to noon
• UM Capital Region Medical Center (located at City of Praise Family Ministries in Landover): Vaccines available Monday through Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Lakeforest Mall in Gaithersburg: Vaccines available Mondays through Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Sundays, 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.