Maryland’s Larry Hogan Leaves Office More Popular With Democrats Than Republicans

Ben WilsonJanuary 17, 2023

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Republican Larry Hogan will be retiring as Maryland’s governor on Wednesday. His favorability rating among Democrats is higher than that of his party’s voters.

According to recent polls, eighty-one percent (81%) of Maryland Democrats support the departure of the governor. This compares with only 68 percent for Republicans. polling from Gonzales Research. Hogan was twice elected in deep blue Maryland and is well-known for his ability to work with both the legislature and the other side of the aisle. Hogan’s overall approval rating in Maryland is now 77 percent. This is 10 points more than the January 2016 poll that measured his favorability.

Hogan will hand over the governor’s mansion Wednesday to Democrat Wes Moore. Moore trounced Republican Dan Cox, who was far more partisan than Hogan, by more than 30 percentage points last November. Cox attacked Hogan frequently on the campaign trail for his work with Democrats. Hogan did not support his campaign.

Hogan is widely believed be thinking about a run for the presidency in 2024. His standing in the polls highlights both the strengths and weaknesses of a presidential run by Hogan—his supporters could point to the results as evidence of the governor’s unique popularity and ability to win two consecutive terms in a state where Republicans don’t compete. But his popularity with Democrats won’t help him win a Republican primary. Hogan is a regular critic for former President Donald Trump, whose policies are popular with Republican primary voters.

Hogan blamed the former President for the Republicans’ poor 2022 midterm performance, saying that voters want it. “common sense conservatives.”

“I think President Trump is at a low point in his career,” Hogan spoke in December. “I mean, I think he peaked in November of 2020, and, you know, it was slow to erode some of the base, but now I think he’s at his lowest point ever.”

According to the poll, Hogan has a Democratic favorability rating that is 81 percent. This is exactly like Biden’s. African Americans are also supportive of Hogan, with 81 per cent saying that they approve of his performance. Hogan’s efforts are greatly appreciated. “re-fund the police,” Particularly in Baltimore, which is majority-black, black Maryland voters supported 88 percent of the vote, Washington Free Beacon reported—even as Democrats criticized the effort as “divisive” And “misguided.”

Hogan’s popularity has made him a household name when it comes to the 2024 election. When Hogan was asked about his presidential ambitions, he suggested it to him in November.

“I have been saying it since 2020 that we must get back.”