Tag: Larry Hogan

The Story: Chris Van Hollen (D), one of Maryland's U.S. Senators, is up for re-election this year. The Republicans would love to defeat Van Hollen...

And given the court's conservative lean, they could do so again in this most recent case, which involves House district maps drawn by state legislatures in Maryland and North Carolina. But ending gerrymandering might not be that easy, in part because both parties occasionally benefit from the process. What is gerrymandering? How gerrymandering works In most states, the legislature draws up new congressional maps following the conclusion of the U.S. census, which takes place every ten years. The state's governor then has to approve the new map by signing it into law. A number of states, most recently Utah, have tried to sidestep partisan redistricting by creating independent commissions tasked with drawing maps that better reflect the will of voters. States like Utah are also trying this approach, creating independent commissions that would limit legislatures' involvement in redistricting. Democrats have scored major victories at the state level in recent elections, and according to The Washington Post, they would now have the ability to draw the boundaries of 76 House seats nationwide should redistricting happen tomorrow. Another 113 seats would be drawn by independent commissions, while 60 would be redrawn in states where Republicans and Democrats share control of the state government. Why 2020 matters for gerrymandering Unless the Supreme Court intervenes, the 2020 elections remain Democrats' best hope of undoing Republican gerrymanders and instituting new maps.

Roy Cooper, a Democrat, and Maryland Gov. Under the current system, politicians devise maps that make some votes count more than others. Our states — Maryland and North Carolina — are among the most gerrymandered in the country. Take a look at our congressional district maps, and you will see some absurd-looking districts. It makes them more beholden to the party leaders who draw the boundaries than to the voters who live within them. In Maryland, Democrats contrived a congressional district map to distribute liberal voters from Baltimore and the Washington metro area far across the state. In North Carolina, one Republican member of the North Carolina General Assembly actually told fellow legislators in 2016: “I propose that we draw the maps to give a partisan advantage to 10 Republicans and three Democrats because I do not believe it’s possible to draw a map with 11 Republicans and two Democrats.” Later that year, Republicans won those 10 seats — 77 percent of the congressional delegation — despite winning just 53 percent of the statewide vote. Leaders in both parties would be wise to listen to and work with the people they represent to strengthen our democracy. Both of us support reform efforts in our states that would take a nonpartisan approach to redistricting. Citizens should choose their elected officials, not the other way around.

According to the governor's office, Hogan has accepted an invitation to "Politics and Eggs," a breakfast series April 23 at St. Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire. "Marylanders should care because it's the first step in a very long line of steps to raising your national profile, and that's exactly what Gov. Hogan hopes to do with this trip to New Hampshire," Goucher College poll director Mileah Kromer said. "Politics and Eggs" is a big deal in the world of presidential election politics. New Hampshire's primary is first in the nation, and 2020 is just around the corner. The series is a must-stop for any politico even thinking about testing the waters. Is that the case for Hogan? "I think they reached out because they liked some of the things I was focusing on, but I understand the speculation," Hogan said Feb. 22. "This is an invitation-only event. "I think there is a group of Republicans that would very much like to see a different direction for the Republican Party, and they want to see what Larry Hogan is made of, and also, by inviting him to this event, it gives them an opportunity to reach out and touch him, to shake hands and to hear what he has to say firsthand."

President Trump started his 2020 re-election campaign the day of his inauguration. But a challenge from with the GOP may throw a wrench in Trump’s 2020 plans. #Cillizza #Trump #CNN #News SOURCES AND FURTHER READING: If the 2020 election were…

On Monday, Judy Woodruff sat down with three governors trying to work across party lines: Larry Hogan, R-Md., Chris Sununu, R-N.H. and Tom Wolf, D-Pa. Read the Full Transcript Judy Woodruff: As Washington, D.C., feels more divided now than ever before, some leaders at the state level are aiming for something often unheard of in today's politics, common ground. But the governors also struck a hopeful note about the state of American politics. : You know, I know people are very frustrated. I'm frustrated, not just with Washington, but the divisive, angry politics. And I know a lot of people are ready to give up, and they say that the system is broken and that we can't do anything about it. Know what respect is, and practice it. And that should give people hope. The system really, really works. Judy Woodruff: Our conversation at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore also touched on the 20 presidential contests and speculation over Governor Hogan's own ambitions. And I'm flattered that people are talking about that as a possibility, but it's not something I'm focused on.

Jealous voluntarily ceded the stage to Hogan last week as hundreds of Maryland’s state, federal and local officials gathered in Ocean City for an annual conference that has been a fixture in the state’s political calendar for nearly 90 years. Jealous’s decision to skip the Maryland Association of Counties summer gathering — instead meeting with voters in Baltimore City and Frederick — set off another wave of anxiety among his supporters in the Democratic establishment. “Personally, I would be here.” Jealous’s absence from the resort town, where the state’s political press corps also gathered, has raised questions about whether eschewing traditional Maryland campaign techniques is a misstep or a savvy move in a tough race. “This conference is far more than just a speaking opportunity,’” Hogan told a crowd of local leaders. I mean, look at that,” the lawmaker said, gesturing to Hogan, who was posing for photos with the children of other elected officials. “What we’re trying to do is meet with actual voters and small business people,” Turnbull said from Ocean City. “Concern/Attack: Why isn’t Ben at the MACo summer convention? “You just get to meet people from all over the state,” Young said. He recalled that former governor William Donald Schaefer had “an entourage of 50 people” during election years slapping stickers on elected officials from across the state. Jealous is “not running a traditional campaign,” Busch said.

This week, Marylanders went to the polls to cast ballots in the primaries. Winners included Ben Jealous, who Democrats chose to run against Governor Larry Hogan in November, and Angela Alsobrooks, Democratic nominee for Prince George’s County Executive. In a dramatic turn, the Democratic primary in Montgomery County’s Executive race is still too close to call. We check in with two winners from Tuesday’s election, Amie Hoeber, the Republican pick to represent Maryland’s sixth district, and Democratic Senator Ben Cardin. We also discuss the shooting at the Capital Gazette in Annapolis. Sorting political fact from fiction, and having fun while we’re at it. Join us for our weekly review of the politics, policies and personalities of the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. Sorting political fact from fiction, and having fun while we’re at it. Join us for our weekly review of the politics, policies and personalities of the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. Guests Corey Stewart, Republican candidate for Senator, Virginia; Chairman, Prince William Board of County Supervisors (R); @CoreyStewartVA Benjamin Cardin, U.S.

Lawmakers from across the political spectrum led tributes to former first lady Barbara Bush Sunday after a spokesman announced the 92-year-old was in "failing health." The official @GOP Twitter account tweeted: "Our entire RNC family offers prayers of comfort and peace for Barbara Bush and the entire Bush family." White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said, "The President's and First Lady's prayers are with all of the Bush Family during this time." Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley tweeted Sunday that Bush is "a woman of great faith, great strength, and an unwavering love of country. "Our country is better because of former First Lady Barbara Bush," Haley added. Former Republican U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, now the permanent U.S. representative to NATO, described Bush as "one of America's most-loved women." "Barbara Bush has a character that is as big, inspiring and iconic as Texas," the state's governor, Greg Abbott, said in a statement. Rep. Sean Maloney, D-N.Y., paid tribute to Bush as "a graceful First Lady who has dedicated her life to improving education and promoting literacy", while Maryland Gov. Ohio Gov. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said he was "praying" for Bush and her family and called her "a special woman, whose great faith and love for her country inspires us all."