Former Gov. Larry Hogan said Tuesday the revival of the Red Line project he canceled nearly a decade ago is a mistake and should not be a priority as officials seek federal assistance for Maryland transportation projects.

“I don’t think it’s going to happen,” Hogan, a Republican running for U.S. Senate, said during an interview with The Baltimore Sun’s editorial board. “I think there’s almost no chance whatsoever.”

If Hogan wins in November, he would join a federal delegation from Maryland that is widely supportive of the east-west rapid transit plan in Baltimore and what is likely to be billions of dollars infederal funds that could accompany it.

Hogan said his position on the project had not changed since he first canceled it after becoming governor in 2015, returning $900 million already committed by the federal government and redirecting state funds to roads in the process.

Hogan’s successor, Democratic Gov. Wes Moore, has prioritized reversing that decision during his first two years in office — reigniting plans for what could be a $7.2 billion light-rail line stretching between East and West Baltimore.

State transportation officials have said about half of the cost could come from the federal government, through funding requests that have yet to be formalized. But they have not said how they would fund the state’s share, especially when rising costs and an unreliable transportation funding system have led to widespread cuts in the state’s six-year transportation plan.

Hogan repeatedly referred to those fiscal constraints and blamed Moore while casting doubt on the Red Line.

“The No. 1 issue in the state is fixing the traffic, and we have the traffic relief plan, which took years to battle through, and the federal government dragged their feet at the last moment. And Wes Moore’s killed it,” Hogan said. “Wes Moore is now killing every transportation project statewide to try to do the Red Line, and I think it’s a mistake.”

Moore did not return a request for comment through a spokesman. But the Democrat has routinely criticized Hogan for his decision to cancel the Red Line.

He’s also used the phrase that Hogan uttered when he canceled the project — calling it a “wasteful boondoggle” — to refer to the Hogan-backed Purple Line addition to the Washington Metro, which has seen delays and billions in cost overruns. Part of the reason for the declining state transportation funds is the Purple Line, including $425 million in additional spending approved earlier this year.

Hogan has drawn the ire of other Democrats over the project. Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott called the cancellation “deliberate and catastrophic” while referring to Hogan only as “he who shall not be named” during the announcement of the Red Line’s revival last year.

Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, a Democrat competing against Hogan to replace the retiring Cardin, has said she supports the Red Line. And Democratic U.S. Sens. Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin secured language in the 2021 infrastructure bill that they said allows projects like the Red Line to get priority when considering billions of dollars in new capital projects investment grants.

Hogan, however, said he would not prioritize that kind of investment.

He singled out rebuilding the Francis Scott Key Bridge as his top priority for transportation. Those funds, however, are expected to come from an emergency relief program rather than regular routes for transportation funds.

He also named the Howard Street tunnel expansion and the Frederick Douglass Tunnel — projects that are already in the works and have dedicated funding — as higher priorities than the Red Line in Baltimore.

“Right now there’s no funding to move forward any of the important priorities for transportation because they’ve blown through the $5.5 billion surplus and the Transportation Trust Fund,” Hogan said, referring to state funds that have depleted in recent years while the state has made new investments and seen the drying up of pandemic-era federal aide. “So nothing’s really going to get built. They can’t even afford to pitch in on the Key Bridge.”