With Hogan unpersuaded by McConnell’s pitches, Chao encouraged a Senate bid during a private lunch with Hogan’s wife in the Maryland governor’s mansion, which Hogan briefly attended. Chao was scheduled to bring her father to another private lunch with Mrs. Hogan, although it was canceled due to a COVID-19 concern.

During the lunch, Chao emphasized the sense of community on Capitol Hill with the other senators’ families. She also appealed to Mrs. Hogan’s sense of patriotism, pitching the Senate as a great way for the Hogans to serve their country. Chao and Yumi Hogan, both prominent Asian Americans, were friends before the Senate race became a focus.

At the same time, a handful of Republican senators, including Collins, have reached out to Hogan directly to encourage him to run. And more than one suitor, including at least one fellow Republican governor, has made the case that the Senate could be a stepping stone to a future presidential bid, which Hogan has openly contemplated.