As I sat down to write this column, two thoughts came to mind related to the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. The first: What should we glean from former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan’s announcement Sunday that he would not seek the nomination? The second was whether Democrats will try to affect the GOP presidential nomination contest, as they did in several downballot races last year.
Having lived in Maryland for 33 years, in my judgment Hogan was the most competent of the five governors (three Democrats, two Republicans) who served during that time. Politics is not a form of warfare trying to crush the opposition and force your will upon them; it is about striking balances. Successful governing is about reaching consensus and forging compromise.
For much of the past four years, Hogan, Charlie Baker of Massachusetts, and Phil Scott of Vermont were the three most popular governors in the country—all Republicans elected in extremely Democratic states. Toward the end of last year, Mark Gordon, governor of very-Republican Wyoming, leaped into first place, followed closely by Hogan, Baker, Scott, and New
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