Franchot says he’s ‘agnostic’ right now on a 2022 gubernatorial bid

Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot said he is “agnostic right now” about whether he’ll run for governor of Maryland in 2022.

Franchot was a guest on A Miner Detail Podcast Sunday evening when asked about his future political plans.

When asked by podcast host Ryan Miner if he is considering a 2022 gubernatorial bid, Franchot left the door open, telling Miner, “it depends.”

“I’m flattered by people who say, ‘Why don’t you run for governor,’ and my response is it all depends on what is going on three years from now,” Franchot said.

“It’s very unclear what the situation is politically these days; it’s volatile and turbulent. It goes up, it goes down.”

But Franchot, 71, is certain about one thing: He enjoys serving Marylanders as their comptroller.

“But I’m very happy being comptroller, who wouldn’t want to be governor, I suppose.”

The former District 20 state legislator said he sees both the positives and negatives being governor.

“But having been in the legislature for twenty years, and now going into my thirteenth year as comptroller, I can see the downside of being in that highly-visible position, just as well as the upside.”

Franchot, a Democrat, is Maryland’s 33rd comptroller. He was convincingly re-elected to a fourth term last November by more votes than any other candidate running statewide – over 1.6 million – including Gov. Larry Hogan (R).

He’s slated to be sworn into his 4th term on Jan. 28 at a ceremony to be held at the Lucy and Vernon Wright Theater at the University of Baltimore.

Franchot is holding a campaign event tonight at Sabatino’s Italian Restaurant in Baltimore City’s iconic Little Italy.

Listen to Franchot’s full interview below.