Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan says he will NOT seek a presidential bid in 2024

Larry Hogan has decided that he will not bid for the White House in 2024 because it seems the Republican field is already filling up.

The former Maryland governor gave a realistic perspective on why he’s not in the race — saying he knew he wouldn’t be a frontrunner and wouldn’t be able to make the difference he wants to make as a presidential candidate.

“I didn’t want a bunch of people fighting,” Hogan said in an interview Sunday morning that aired on CBS News’ Face the Nation.

“Right now you have — you know, Trump and DeSantis at the top of the field, sucking up all the oxygen and getting all the attention,” he explained to CBS election and campaign correspondent Robert Costa. “And then a lot of the rest of us in single digits and the more you have, the less chance you have of someone revolting.”

Hogan said former President Donald Trump’s candidacy was not the biggest consideration in his decision not to bid for the White House, but rather the expanding field and competition.

“Right now you have — you know, Trump and DeSantis at the top of the field, sucking up all the oxygen and getting all the attention. And then a lot of the rest of us in single digits and the more you have, the less chance you have of someone rioting,” Hogan explained, though Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (pictured) has yet to announce a bid .

So far, former President Donald Trump and his former ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, have announced that they will be active in 2024. They are the most recognizable candidates announced to date.

A few other Republicans have also joined in, including biotech multimillionaire Vivek Ramaswamy.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has not yet joined the race, but will make his first visit to Iowa next week, the country’s first primary contest.

“I’ve been thinking about it seriously and I’ve talked to people everywhere and I’ve talked to my family. And it was a tough decision,” Hogan said. “But I’ve decided I won’t be running for the Republican nomination for president.”

An anti-Trumper since Day One, Hogan has been hailed as one of the most pragmatic and moderate Republican politicians, leaving his post as governor of the blue state of Maryland earlier this year following his two terms in office.

It was rumored that Hogan would enter the race for the 2024 presidency after leaving the State House in Maryland.

“It’s mostly about the country and the party,” Hogan told Costa. “It was a personal decision.”

“It was like, ‘I didn’t need that job. I didn’t have to run to another office,” he added. “I considered it because I thought it was a public service and maybe I can make a difference.”

“I didn’t want a bunch of people fighting,” Hogan said in an interview broadcast on CBS News’ Face the Nation Sunday morning.

In addition to Trump, former UN ambassador Nikki Haley (left) and biotech “anti-woke” millionaire Vivek Ramaswamy (right) have also announced their candidacy for president.

Despite not wanting to cloud the already growing field of Republicans, Hogan insisted that the Trump factor played no part in his decision whether or not to bid.

“This isn’t just a decision to run for president,” Costa said in the pre-recorded interview. It’s a decision to go up against former President Trump, who is as hard on his opponent as anyone I’ve ever beaten. Merciless.’

“Well, that didn’t really scare me,” Hogan said. ‘You’re right. It was going to be a tough race. And he’s very tough.’

“But you know, I beat life-threatening cancer,” he added. “So Trump calling me names on Twitter didn’t really put me off.”