DEAN: We have a major development in the 2020 race for the White House. Today's dramatic twist is on the Republican side. CNN has learned Maryland Governor Larry Hogan will be not challenge President Trump for the GOP nomination. Hogan spent months considering a White House bid while touting his traditional Republican values. Let's get to CNN's Sarah Westwood. Sarah, I interviewed Larry Hogan back in January when he was mulling this over. I remember him saying, I don't want to go on a fool's errand, I don't want to go on a suicide mission. What are you hearing about the factors that led to his decision not to run?</s>SARAH WESTWOOD, CNN WHITE HIOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jessica, Governor Larry Hogan is citing as a primary reason on why he's not running, the plans that he has for the state of Maryland. He was just re-elected to a second term last year. He's very popular in that deep-blue state. He's a Republican governor. And he's also pointing to his upcoming stint as chair of the bipartisan National Governor's Association as another reason he is not going to run. Although, he did acknowledge, in an interview with the "Washington Post" that Trump's sky-high popularity within the GOP would have made any challenge to re-nominating Trump a real uphill battle. As you mentioned, Hogan spent months weighing this foray into 2020 politics. He said he's been approached by Trump critics within the GOP. And we have not yet gotten a response from the Trump campaign yet, but this is news likely to excite them. Not necessarily because Hogan was ever a real serious threat to President Trump's chances of being re- nominated but because, behind the scenes, the Trump campaign has been working at consolidating GOP support. They want the Republican convention next year to go off without a hitch. And Hogan's bid, however long shot it would have been, would have really hindered their efforts to project GOP unity -- Jessica?</s>DEAN: Sarah Westwood, at the White House for us. Thanks so much. We will be right back.
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan Will Not Challenge Trump in Primary.