Larry Hogan won two terms as governor. A Senate victory will be more challenging.

Larry Hogan knows what he’s up against in his campaign to become Maryland’s next U.S. senator. Sure, the Republican won statewide elections twice and remained popular through his two terms as governor. But voter registration and voter behavior present a significant challenge for Hogan in his Senate campaign. Not only does Maryland have a significant registration edge favoring Democrats, but voters across the nation very rarely elect senators from the opposite party from the one that dominates their state. Just five of 100 senators represent states that chose a different party’s candidate for president.