Former two-term Maryland governor Larry Hogan, only the second Republican to serve in that role in 50 years, says being a good politician takes courage, communication skills, and the willingness to compromise—all of which are currently in short supply.
Hogan, who spoke on Jan. 28 in Filene Auditorium as part of the Rockefeller Center for Public Policy and Dartmouth Dialogues series Law and Democracy: The United States at 250, said that needs to change.
"When people don't have the moral courage to stand up and say what they actually believe, that's when I think we're in trouble, and I think we're seeing a lot of that in Washington," Hogan said.
Hogan also had high praise for the series and Dartmouth Dialogues, which was initiated by President Sian Leah Beilock to teach students how to engage across political and personal differences.
"A lot of people are very concerned about the direction of our country, and where we are with the divisiveness and dysfunction, and our political system being such a mess," Hogan said.
People want to elect lawmakers who will "actually sit down together and figure out solutions," and that starts with the students and others who are participating in these dialogues, he said.
"Teaching students how to have these kinds of open dialogues and listening to other points of view is critically important," not just to Dartmouth or academia, but "to the country," said Hogan, who met with students and with President Beilock earlier in the day.
The hourlong Law and Democracy talk was moderated by economics professor Patricia Anderson and Jason Barabas '93, a professor of government and director of the Rockefeller Center. About 90 people attended the event, and more than 50 joined via livestream.
Arya Goyal '29 takes a photo of Ryan Joseph '29 with former Gov. Larry Hogan while fellow Rockefeller student assistants Stephen Fowler '29, Maya Dombroskie '29, and Ben Buurma '29 look on. Joseph introduced Hogan before his talk. (Photo By Eli Burakian '00)
Discussing issues such as infrastructure needs, political polarization, and recent conflicts between state leaders and the Trump administration, Hogan drew on his experience serving as governor with a Democratic legislature, from 2015 to 2023, and as chair of the bipartisan National Governors Association.
Noting the recent conflicts between several blue-state governors and the Trump administration, Barabas asked Hogan to comment on "the proper role" of states and the federal government, and whether the latter had been guilty of "overreach."
"There are mistakes all over the place and lots of blame to go around," said Hogan, who compared the current dynamic with that of six years earlier, at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The states and the federal government didn't always agree, "but we had ongoing communication and dialogue," he said. "What we're seeing now is the states and the federal government not talking to one another, and we see the results of it, with policies that people aren't agreeing on."
"It's a perfect example of what not to do," added Hogan, contrasting recent events with his own response to rioting that erupted in Baltimore in response to the 2015 death of Freddie Gray, who was fatally injured while in custody in a police van.
"I sent in the National Guard and Maryland State Police, but we were in complete coordination and communication with the city police of Baltimore," he said. "Our mission was to keep everyone safe and restore calm, not to create chaos and to not have anybody know what's going on."
Barabas also asked Hogan, who was the Republican candidate for an open U.S. Senate seat from Maryland in 2024, what he is most proud of from his time as governor.
The state's economic turnaround, his high approval ratings, and "the way we went about governing," said Hogan.
"We actually got things done in a bipartisan, commonsense way," which is sorely uncommon in the U.S. today, he said. "We tend to just want to demonize the other side and not have honest and open discussions about issues, and we never seem to want to compromise, as if it's a dirty word."
During the Q&A, Spencer Hogan, Tuck '27, referenced a recent op-ed by Hogan in which he said he would "work to inspire and support the next generation of civic leaders," and asked which of the state's younger leaders he expects to rise in the ranks, and what advice he was giving them.
Larry Hogan, who recently said he doesn't plan to run for governor again, said he wants to encourage promising younger leaders, regardless of their party.
Elijah Berkowitz Douglas '29, who opened the Q&A portion with a question about why Larry Hogan's popularity as governor didn't translate into a victory in his 2024 Senate campaign, lands a photo with the Maryland Republican. (Photo By Eli Burakian '00)
After the event, Spencer Hogan, who previously worked in Bethesda, Md., but is not related to the former governor, called his response "pretty darn powerful."
"He made it clear that it wasn't just about handpicking a couple of Maryland Republicans so much as great folks on either side of the aisle who were going to behave the way he did in office," said the MBA student, who has been a regular at Rockefeller Center events. "I thought that was a solid message."
Shreya Vikram '27, an economics major and public policy minor, said she also attends the Rockefeller Center events.
"I find them really enjoyable, and it's really nice to get a sense of how people talk when they're in positions of power, and how they think about things," Vikram said. "You don't really get that online."