Baltimore Sun
By Robert F. Scholz
September 24, 2024
Read the full opinion piece here.
There are many good reasons for Marylanders to elect former Gov. Larry Hogan to the United States Senate, some for the good of the state, others for the good of the country. This is a year in which many feel that both major parties have let them down, nominating flawed presidential candidates who seem to pander to the extremes in their constituencies. This leaves most of us with the prospect of voting for political extremes and continued dysfunction at the highest level of our government.
In Hogan, Marylanders can elect a well-known and widely respected person of good character and temperament. During his eight years as governor, he demonstrated time and time again his fundamental decency, sense of fairness and a drive to seek common sense, nonpartisan and fiscally responsible solutions to problems. His election would be a gift not only to Maryland but also to the country, enabling us to begin the long process of restoring civility and practicality to our public discourse. We do not need another highly partisan career politician who would simply join the back bench cacophony in Washington.
Both the state and the country face extreme fiscal pressures in the coming years. Moody’s recently downgraded Maryland’s credit outlook from “stable” to “negative.” According to Maryland Matters, the projected budget deficit in Maryland will grow to $1.3 billion in fiscal year 2027 and to $3 billion the year after. This comes after our current governor inherited a $5 billion surplus from Hogan. The news is similarly dire at the federal level, where we’re running a cumulative budget deficit of $1.8 trillion. Neither party has shown an ability to solve these intractable and dire problems. We have been lulled to sleep and dulled to the dangers of overspending. Both major party nominees for president make irresponsible promises of giveaways at the taxpayers’ expense and peril. Hogan’s opponent, Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, has had nothing to say about this important problem except to support ever-increasing spending.
Governor Hogan was a strong supporter of economic initiatives and renewal efforts in Baltimore City. In 2015, after only three months in office, Hogan demonstrated his compassionate and effective leadership in dealing with riots in Baltimore after the death of Freddie Gray. When Baltimore’s mayor was missing in action, Hogan stepped up, bringing necessary law enforcement to restore and maintain order. He spent a week in Baltimore, going daily through the streets with religious and civic leaders and meeting with and consoling victims of the violence and destruction. Subsequently, he sent significant funds to help the city with some of its most intractable problems.
Hogan has been supportive of law enforcement, never succumbing to the demands to defund the police. He understands the importance of public safety in all of our communities. At the same time, he reversed the policies of prior Democratic governors who allowed thousands of elderly inmates to languish in jail longer than necessary or appropriate. Hogan acted, granting, where appropriate, commutations of sentences and paroles and reducing the prison population, thereby doing justice and helping to relieve overcrowding. He oversaw the demolition of the antiquated city jail in Baltimore, a project that languished under prior governors, making way for better, safer facilities. He was the first governor to create meaningful reentry policies for inmates returning to society by empowering state agencies with the resources and knowledge to deliver services necessary to reduce recidivism. His administration’s rapid response to COVID-19 in prisons made the state among the leaders in the country in protecting that vulnerable population. These are the policies of a mature leader.
Hogan’s exemplary record of bipartisanship in judicial appointments stands in contrast to a pattern of Democratic governors in Maryland with embarrassing records of extreme partisanship. Hogan appointed the best individuals available to the bench regardless of party affiliation. He acted similarly in all important government appointments. All this work was carried out with attention to both diversity and competence. While this seems to be common sense, it was not and is no longer common practice in Maryland. This is one of many areas where his leadership is missed.
Regarding the unfortunate and disruptive overturning of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court, Hogan has stated plainly and unequivocally that he supports federal legislation to make Roe the law of the land. Reproductive rights are safely ensconced in Maryland law, and will likely become part of the Maryland constitution this fall. Hogan’s opponent is callously misleading voters about his position on this important issue. Partisan attempts to paint Hogan as an ideologue are inauthentic political noise intended to distract voters from the matters at hand. Maryland and the country need a steady, independent voice in Washington so we can begin to rebuild trust in our government.
Much of this is a matter of character, something that’s in chronic short supply in Washington. Hogan’s life has always been character-driven; he has never been beholden to a political party or their often overly simple solutions to complex problems. It is his independence, essential fairness and true desire to do what is right for Maryland and the country that separates him from everyday politicians. Hogan has an extraordinary ability to connect with people and to reach across the aisle to work for common-sense solutions to our many problems. He will make Marylanders proud. He deserves our votes.
