Outgoing Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan flirted with running for president years before his term ended, openly weighing if trying to persuade Republican primary voters to nominate an unabashed Donald Trump-critic would be political suicide. As he left office Wednesday, it remained an open question if the skills that catapulted Hogan to unusual popularity as the Republican governor of a Democratic state could be sold to a fractured Republican Party. Any presidential bid would be built on his tenure in Maryland, where he forged rapport with the electorate through handling crises and a skilled public relations operation, deploying populist policies such as cutting tolls and putting air-conditioning in schools.
Larry Hogan won over Democrats in Maryland. Could he do it nationwide?
January 23, 2023