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Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan endorses Nikki Haley
Washington — Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, who was being eyed for a possible third-party bid for the White House, endorsed former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley on Sunday.
“It’s time for the party to get behind Nikki Haley,” Hogan told CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday. “I believe that Nikki Haley’s the strongest chance for us to put forth our best possible candidate for November.”
Hogan, a moderate Republican who has been critical of former President Donald Trump, announced in March 2023 that he would not seek the party’s nomination in 2024.
Months later, Hogan told “Face the Nation” that he had “not closed the door” to running for president on a No Labels ticket. The political organization is seeking to put together a bipartisan, third-party presidential ticket.
Hogan recently stepped down from No Labels’ board, fueling speculation that he could be preparing a presidential run.
“Nikki Haley has got all the momentum,” Hogan told CNN. “I’ve been saying since last spring, when I made the decision not to run, that I really did not want to see a multi-car pile up that would just enable Donald Trump. I think we want to have the strongest possible nominee in November. Polls show that that is Nikki Haley, that she’s 17 points ahead of Joe Biden, and it’s a toss-up with Trump and Biden, and DeSantis is losing [against Biden].”
Hogan’s endorsement comes just one day before Republicans in Iowa will hold their caucuses, the first nominating contest on the 2024 season.
A new CBS News poll found GOP voters believe Trump is their best chance to beat President Biden in November, though Haley leads Mr. Biden by a wider margin in a general election match-up.
Cristina Corujo contributed reporting.
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A teacher and student killed in a shooting earlier this week at a school in Madison, Wisconsin, were identified Wednesday by authorities.
The Dane County Medical Examiner’s Office said in a news release provided to CBS News that 42-year-old Erin West and 14-year-old Rubi Vergara were fatally shot Monday morning at Abundant Life Christian School.
Preliminary examinations determined the two died of “homicidal firearm related trauma.” Both were pronounced dead at the scene, the medical examiner said.
An online obituary on a local funeral site stated Vergara was a freshman who leaves behind her parents, one brother, and a large extended family. It described her as “an avid reader” who “loved art, singing and playing keyboard in the family worship band.”
West’s exact position with the school was unclear.
The medical examiner also confirmed that a preliminary autopsy found that the suspected shooter, 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow — a student at the same school — was pronounced dead at a local hospital Monday of “firearm related trauma.” Madison Chief of Police Shon F. Barnes had previously told reporters that Rupnow was pronounced dead while being transported to a hospital.
Police had also previously stated that she was believed to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The shooting at the private Christian K-12 school was reported just before 11 a.m. Monday. In addition to the two people killed and the shooter, six others were wounded.
Police said the shooting occurred in a classroom where a study hall was taking place involving students from several grades.
A handgun was recovered after the shooting, Barnes said, but it was unclear where the gun came from or how many shots were fired. A law enforcement source said the weapon used in the shooting appears to have been a 9 mm pistol.
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