He was sworn into office on Wed. in Annapolis.
Annapolis, Md (KM) The emphasis was on bipartisanship during inauguration ceremonies on Wednesday for Governor Larry Hogan. He said he wants to seek the “middle ground where we can all stand together” as he begins his second term.
In his inaugural address outside of the State House, Hogan said he will continue seeking the middle ground. “On this historic day in this historic place, let us once again pledge to seek that middle ground where we can stand together. Let’s keep changing Maryland for the better and let’s continue setting an example for the rest of the nation,” he said.
The Governor and other speakers made reference to the divisive politics in Washington, claiming nothing gets done there. But Hogan said there is a different way beside partisan bickering. “And to those who say that our political system is too broken and can’t be fixed, I would argue that we have already shown a better path forward. And if we can accomplish that here in Maryland, then there’s no place in America where these very same principles cannot succeed,” he said.
Hogan is the second Republican Governor in Maryland history to be sworn into office for a second time. He will be working with a majority Democratic General Assembly.
In his inaugural address, Hogan referred to his father, former GOP Congressman Lawrence Hogan, who served on the House Judiciary Committee. In 1974, he became the only Republican on the panel to vote for articles of impeachment against then-President Richard Nixon. “Now that decision cost him dearly. He lost friends and supporters, and his party’s nomination for governor that year,” he said. “But it earned him something more valuable: a quiet conscience and an honored place in history.”
Nixon resigned from the presidency later on that year.
He also said his father was a positive role model to him. “I learned a lot about integrity and public service from my dad. I miss a lot, especially today,” Hogan said as he fought back tears. Lawrence Hogan died in 2017.
One of the other speakers at the inauguration was former Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett, who said under Hogan’s leadership, Maryland has avoided the partisan rancor in the Nation’s Capitol. “I am proud to say that despite the inability to effectively govern in some other jurisdictions around the nation, here in Maryland, under your leadership and the leadership of the General Assembly, we have avoided that problem,” he said
And former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, who also spoke, noted that Washington has divided government and nothing gets done. “Outside DC, good and interesting ideas and strong leadership still hold the power to repair and reinvigorate our institutions,” he said. “Governor Hogan’s first term is a testament to that.”
The quotations for this article come from WDVM-TV.
By Kevin McManus