Larry Hogan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Larry Hogan
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Hogan in 2021
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| 62nd Governor of Maryland | |
| In office January 21, 2015 – January 18, 2023 |
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| Lieutenant | Boyd Rutherford |
| Preceded by | Martin O'Malley |
| Succeeded by | Wes Moore |
| Chair of the National Governors Association | |
| In office July 26, 2019 – August 5, 2020 |
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| Deputy | Andrew Cuomo |
| Preceded by | Steve Bullock |
| Succeeded by | Andrew Cuomo |
| Vice Chair of the National Governors Association | |
| In office July 21, 2018 – July 26, 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Steve Bullock |
| Succeeded by | Andrew Cuomo |
| Secretary of Appointments of Maryland | |
| In office January 15, 2003 – January 17, 2007 |
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| Governor | Bob Ehrlich |
| Preceded by | Erin L. Castleberry |
| Succeeded by | Jeanne Hitchcock |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Lawrence Joseph Hogan Jr.
May 25, 1956 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Other political affiliations |
No Labels |
| Spouse |
Yumi Kim
(m. 2004) |
| Parent |
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| Relatives | Patrick N. Hogan (half-brother) |
| Education | Florida State University (BA) |
| Signature |  |
Lawrence Joseph Hogan Jr. (born May 25, 1956) is an American politician and businessman. He served as the 62nd governor of Maryland from 2015 to 2023. He is a member of the Republican Party. His father, Lawrence Hogan, was a U.S. representative for three terms.
Hogan ran for Congress in Maryland's 5th congressional district in 1981 and 1992, but didn't win. Later, he worked for Governor Bob Ehrlich as Maryland's Secretary of Appointments from 2003 to 2007. In 2011, Hogan started an organization called Change Maryland. He used it to help his campaign for governor in 2014.
He ran as a moderate Republican and won the 2014 election against Democrat Anthony Brown. Hogan was reelected in 2018, beating Democrat Ben Jealous. This made him the first Republican governor in Maryland to serve two terms since Theodore McKeldin. He could not run for a third term in 2022 due to term limits. Wes Moore became the next governor. Hogan was very popular when he left office.
After being governor, many thought Hogan might run for president in 2024. However, he decided not to and supported Nikki Haley instead of Donald Trump. On February 9, 2024, Hogan announced he would run for the U.S. Senate in Maryland. He won the Republican primary but lost to Democrat Angela Alsobrooks in the general election on November 5, 2024.
Contents
Growing Up and School
Larry Hogan was born in 1956 in Washington, D.C. He grew up in Landover, Maryland. He went to Saint Ambrose Catholic School and DeMatha Catholic High School. In 1972, his parents divorced, and he moved to Florida with his mother. He finished high school at Father Lopez Catholic High School in 1974.
His father, Lawrence Hogan Sr., was a U.S. Representative for Maryland and later the executive for Prince George's County, Maryland. Hogan Sr. was known for being the first Republican on the U.S. House Judiciary Committee to ask for Richard Nixon to be removed from office. Both of Hogan's parents had Irish family backgrounds.
Hogan went to Florida State University from 1974 to 1978. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in government and political science.
Early Career in Politics and Business
Because his father was a U.S. representative, Larry Hogan learned about politics from a young age. He worked on many political campaigns.
While in college, Hogan worked in the Florida state government. After graduating, he worked in Washington, D.C. He helped his father win the election for Prince George's County executive in 1978. Hogan then worked for his father as a helper for government relations.
In 1981, at 24, Hogan first ran for office. He wanted to fill a vacant seat in Maryland's 5th congressional district. He came in second place in the Republican primary election.
In 1985, Hogan started Hogan Companies. This company deals with land, commercial, and residential properties. He worked in the private business world for the next 18 years.
In 1992, Hogan ran for the 5th congressional district again as a Republican. He ran against the Democrat Steny Hoyer. Hoyer spent much more money on his campaign. Hogan won 44% of the vote, making it Hoyer's closest election.
From 2003 to 2007, Hogan took a break from his business. He served as Maryland's Secretary of Appointments under Governor Bob Ehrlich. In this role, Hogan appointed over 7,000 people to jobs in the Maryland government.
In 2011, Hogan started Change Maryland. This group spoke out against taxes and criticized Governor Martin O'Malley's government. The group helped promote Hogan's run for governor.
Governor of Maryland
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As governor, news outlets often called Hogan a moderate Republican. This means he held views that were not extreme. In 2015, The Washington Post said he kept his promise to govern from the middle. A group called On the Issues also sees Hogan as a centrist.
In 2022, a poll found Hogan was the third most popular governor in the U.S. He had a 70% approval rating. Even with his popularity, his party did not gain many seats in the state legislature. Democrats kept their large majority.
Hogan had a less direct way of working with laws. He never spoke for the bills he suggested each year, unlike past governors. He left office with few new laws passed. He said he "never intended to enact a bunch of policies." Hogan often rejected bills passed by the Maryland General Assembly. The General Assembly had a strong Democratic majority. This meant they often had to get enough votes to pass bills even if he rejected them.
Hogan was the vice chair of the National Governors Association (NGA) from 2018 to 2019. He then became chair from 2019 to 2020. In 2019, he thought about running for president but decided not to. He promised to work against tax increases.
Hogan's real estate business was often looked at closely while he was governor. He was part of the Maryland Board of Public Works. This board can set rules for state housing projects and give money to developers. After becoming governor, Hogan put his business into a trust managed by his brother. However, reports suggested he still knew about his firm's investments. Some reports claimed he benefited from state projects near his properties. Hogan's office denied these claims, saying he followed all ethics laws.
In response, the Maryland General Assembly passed a law in 2021. It requires state officials to share more details about their businesses and properties. This law became active without Hogan's signature. Later, an investigation by Time magazine found that Hogan's firm's clients received many state housing awards. Hogan said he had not read the report and called it untrue. After this, Maryland Democrats asked for investigations into his contracts. They also wanted future governors to use "blind trusts" for their money.
Between 2015 and 2017, Hogan's Facebook page blocked over 450 people. His office said some used "hateful" language. Others said they were blocked for commenting on protests or a travel ban. In 2017, Hogan's staff changed headlines of news articles on his Facebook page. They made it seem like the General Assembly supported one of his bills. After the Baltimore Sun contacted his office, the headlines were corrected.
Campaign for Governor in 2014
In November 2013, Hogan started looking into running for governor in 2014. On January 20, 2014, he officially announced his campaign. He chose Boyd Rutherford as his running mate.
Hogan used public money for his campaign, which was the first time in 20 years. He focused on money issues, like taxes. He avoided talking much about social issues like gun control. He said he would respect Maryland's current laws. He also made the election about Governor Martin O'Malley's time in office. Hogan won the Republican primary election on June 24, 2014, with 43% of the vote.
In the general election, Hogan faced Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown. Brown ran many negative ads against Hogan. Brown also spent much more money on his campaign. On November 4, 2014, Hogan won the election with 51% of the vote. Many people were surprised by his win. News groups said his victory was due to strong support in rural areas and low voter turnout for Democrats.
Reelection in 2018
In the 2018 election, Hogan ran against Democrat Ben Jealous. Hogan had a big lead in polls and fundraising. He won the election with 55% of the vote. This made him only the second Republican governor in Maryland to be reelected. The first was Theodore McKeldin in 1954.
2022 Governor Election
Hogan could not run for governor again in 2022 because of term limits. In November 2021, he supported his commerce secretary, Kelly Schulz, for governor. However, Schulz lost the Republican primary to Dan Cox. Cox was much more conservative than Hogan. Hogan then said he would not support Cox in the general election. He blamed Democrats and former President Donald Trump for Cox winning the primary. Hogan called Cox a "QAnon conspiracy theorist." Hogan did not say who he voted for in the general election. After the election, he congratulated the new governor, Wes Moore. Hogan gave his farewell speech on January 10, 2023. His term ended on January 18.
Cabinet Members
After winning the election, Hogan promised to have a cabinet with both Republicans and Democrats. He started naming people for his 26-member cabinet in December 2014. Five of his choices were Democrats.
Key Issues During His Time as Governor
Education
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As governor, Hogan wanted to expand charter schools. He proposed changes to state laws to give charter schools more control. The Maryland legislature passed a simpler version of his ideas in 2015. In 2016, Hogan and the legislature agreed to create a state program. It would give money for private school scholarships to low-income students.
In August 2016, Hogan ordered public schools to start after Labor Day. The state teachers' union did not agree with this.
In 2017, Hogan suggested a budget that cut money for Baltimore City public schools. He criticized the school system for how it managed money. In 2019, he released a budget that focused mostly on school funding.
In May 2018, Hogan signed a bill. It gave $15 million for scholarships for community college students. This allowed them to attend tuition-free if they had financial need.
In 2019, Hogan said he would reject any tax increase to pay for the Blueprint for Maryland's Future. This was a big plan for education reform. In May 2020, he rejected the Blueprint. He said it was because of the COVID-19 pandemic's effect on Maryland's economy. In February 2021, the Maryland General Assembly voted to overrule Hogan's rejection.
Environment
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Hogan supports cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay. During his 2014 campaign, he said he would focus on reducing pollution in the Susquehanna River. He also suggested suing Pennsylvania and New York for pollution coming from their states. In 2015, Hogan proposed a $250 million project to remove mud from the Conowingo Dam. He said the dam's owner, Exelon, should pay for it. In 2019, Hogan's team made a deal with Exelon. The company would invest $200 million in environmental projects, but not remove the mud.
In 2015, Hogan also proposed changes to rules about phosphorus pollution in the Chesapeake Bay. This pollution came from agricultural runoff (like chicken manure). He suggested giving farmers more time to follow the rules. He reached a compromise with Democrats. It set a deadline of 2022, with a possible delay to 2024.
In 2016, Hogan signed a law to reduce carbon pollution by 40% by 2030. In 2017, he rejected a bill to increase the use of renewable energy. This bill would have required 25% of the state's electricity to come from renewable sources by 2020. The General Assembly overrode his rejection.
As a candidate, Hogan called fracking (a way to get oil and gas) an "economic gold mine." In 2015, he allowed a bill to become law without his signature. It put a two-and-a-half-year pause on fracking in Maryland. In 2017, Hogan signed a law banning fracking in Maryland.
In 2017, Hogan supported the Paris Agreement on climate change. In 2018, he said Maryland would join the United States Climate Alliance. This group works to reduce climate change.
Transportation
In June 2015, Hogan stopped the Baltimore Red Line project. This was a train project that received federal money. He chose to use the money for road construction instead. He said the Red Line plan had "fatal flaws." Baltimore's mayor criticized this decision.
Hogan approved money for the Purple Line in the Washington, D.C. suburbs. But he required more money from Montgomery and Prince George's counties. This decision also closed popular bike paths for several years.
In 2016, the Maryland General Assembly tried to pass a law. It would make transportation decisions more open and fair. Hogan rejected this bill, calling it politically motivated. He said it would force him to cancel 66 transportation projects. The General Assembly overrode his rejection. Later, some people accused Hogan's team of using a biased system to score projects. They said projects Hogan liked got high scores, and others got low scores.
During his second term, Hogan worked to expand parts of the Capital Beltway and Interstate 270. He proposed adding special toll lanes to reduce traffic. This plan was very controversial. Many local leaders and groups opposed it. The cost of the plan grew from $9 billion to $11 billion. Hogan's team said private companies would pay for it.
In June 2019, the Prince George's County Council voted for Hogan to do more environmental reviews. Hogan and the State Board of Public Works approved the plan anyway. In August 2021, the Board approved a contract for the toll lanes.
COVID-19 Pandemic
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Hogan declared a state of emergency on March 5, 2020. This happened after three people tested positive for COVID-19. The emergency allowed state and local leaders to work together better. He also asked for $10 million to fight the virus.
On March 12, 2020, Hogan ordered all public schools to close. He also activated the Maryland Army National Guard. He banned large gatherings and told nonessential state workers to work from home. He closed casinos and limited access to state buildings. As cases rose, he ordered bars, restaurants, movie theaters, and gyms to close. He also issued a ban on evictions and utility shut-offs.
As hospital rates stabilized, Hogan began to reopen the economy. He started with a mask mandate on April 15, 2020. On April 24, he shared a three-stage plan for reopening. He lifted the stay-at-home order on May 13. He began the second stage of reopening on June 5.
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On April 20, 2020, Hogan announced Maryland bought 500,000 COVID-19 tests from South Korea. This was a secret project called Operation Enduring Friendship. Later, it was found that these tests had problems and were not used. The Hogan administration bought replacement tests from the same company.
In July 2020, Hogan issued a new statewide mask mandate. He advised against travel to states with high virus rates. He also extended the eviction ban. In August, he allowed county schools to start reopening safely. He also moved the state to the third stage of reopening. Hogan gave $10 million to community colleges to help people affected by the pandemic. He also announced a $500 million plan to help Maryland businesses.
In December 2020, Hogan announced Maryland would get its first COVID-19 vaccines. His team opened many vaccination sites across the state. In February 2021, Hogan signed a bill to give tax relief and direct payments to families and businesses.
Hogan lifted most state restrictions on businesses and gatherings on March 12, 2021. But he kept social distancing and mask rules. He lifted all remaining COVID-19 restrictions on May 15. On June 15, he said he would not renew the state's emergency declaration.
In August 2021, Hogan required all hospital and nursing home workers to get a COVID-19 vaccine. In September 2021, he allowed booster shots for some residents. By November 2021, booster shots were available to all adults in Maryland.
Gun Control
During his 2014 campaign, Hogan said he opposed a 2013 law that limited gun purchases. But he supported background checks for gun purchases and banning assault weapons.
In October 2018, a new gun control law Hogan signed became active. It banned "bump stocks" and gun ownership for people convicted of domestic abuse. Hogan had been supported by the NRA Political Victory Fund in 2014. But in 2018, he said he would not accept their support.
In May 2019, Hogan rejected a bill to change the Handgun Permit Review Board. This board hears appeals from people denied handgun permits. Hogan said the bill was "a solution in search of a problem."
In April 2022, Hogan allowed a bill to become law without his signature. This bill banned the sale and possession of privately made firearms. He rejected another bill that would require gun shops to have more safety measures. The General Assembly overrode his rejection the next day.
In July 2022, Hogan directed the Maryland State Police to change how they issue carry permits. This came after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling.
Immigration
During his 2014 campaign, Hogan said he opposed "open-border policies." He supported sending undocumented immigrants back to their home countries.
After the November 2015 Paris attacks, Hogan asked the federal government to stop settling Syrian refugees in Maryland. He wanted assurances that they posed no threat. He opposed President Donald Trump's decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. He also pulled Maryland National Guard forces from the U.S.–Mexico border. This was to protest the Trump administration family separation policy.
In May 2021, Hogan rejected a bill that would require counties to end contracts with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The General Assembly overrode his rejection.
In August 2021, Hogan said Maryland was "ready and willing" to accept Afghan refugees. The state took in 1,348 Afghan refugees during the evacuation.
Israel
Hogan supports Israel. In October 2017, he signed an order requiring companies with state contracts to promise they would not boycott Israel. This order was challenged in court but was not blocked. In a 2024 debate, Hogan said supporting Palestine was "both-sideism."
Redistricting
In May 2017, Hogan rejected a bill about nonpartisan redistricting. This bill would have changed how voting districts are drawn.
In January 2018, Hogan supported a Supreme Court case. It argued that Maryland's partisan gerrymandering (drawing districts to favor one party) was unfair.
In January 2021, Hogan created the Maryland Citizens Redistricting Commission. This group was made of Republicans, Democrats, and independent voters. Its goal was to create fair legislative maps. Hogan accepted their map and sent it to the General Assembly. However, the General Assembly drew its own map and overrode Hogan's rejection. A judge later ruled the legislature's map was unfair. The General Assembly drew a new map, which Hogan signed into law in April 2022.
Sick Leave and Paid Family Leave
In December 2016, Hogan proposed a law. It would require companies with 50 or more employees to give five days of paid sick leave per year. This was less than what the Maryland House of Delegates wanted. The House passed a more generous bill. It required companies with 15 or more employees to give seven paid sick-leave days. Hogan rejected this bill, but his rejection was overridden.
In April 2022, Hogan rejected a bill for 12 weeks of partially paid family leave. It also included up to 24 weeks of paid leave for new parents. The General Assembly overrode his rejection the next day.
Social Issues
LGBTQ Rights
In 2014, Hogan opposed a transgender rights law. As a candidate, he said he supported same-sex marriage. In 2015, Hogan expanded an order to protect gender identity for state employees. He allowed a 2015 bill to become law without his signature. This bill let transgender Marylanders change the gender on their birth certificates.
In May 2018, Hogan signed a law banning conversion therapy for minors. This made Maryland the 11th state to do so.
In June 2021, Hogan allowed two bills to become law without his signature. One banned the use of the "gay panic defense." The other created a commission on LGBTQ Affairs.
National Politics
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On July 15, 2015, Hogan supported New Jersey Governor Chris Christie for president. In June 2016, Hogan said he would not support Donald Trump. On election day, Hogan wrote in his father's name for president. He later attended Trump's inauguration. During Trump's presidency, Hogan sometimes criticized Trump and sometimes praised him.
In January 2019, Hogan hinted he might challenge Trump for president in 2020. In March 2019, he said he was thinking about it. In June 2019, Hogan announced he would not challenge Trump. He wanted to focus on being governor and leading the National Governors Association. He also started a national group called An America United.
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In October 2019, Hogan supported the U.S. House of Representatives' impeachment inquiry against Trump. In February 2020, after Trump was acquitted, Hogan criticized both Democrats and Republicans in Congress. In November 2020, he supported Senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler in Georgia's runoff elections.
In August 2020, Hogan said he was not excited about Trump or Joe Biden for president. He later said he wrote in a vote for former President Ronald Reagan.
In December 2020, Hogan became a national co-chair for No Labels. This is a political group that focuses on centrist ideas.
In January 2021, after the attack on the U.S. Capitol, Hogan sent the Maryland National Guard to help. He said America would be better if Trump resigned or was removed from office. He supported Trump's impeachment and said he would have voted to convict him. Hogan also ordered the Maryland National Guard to help protect Biden's inauguration.
In August 2021, Hogan praised the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. He thanked senators for including ideas from the National Governors Association.
After Being Governor
Even though many thought he would, Hogan announced in 2023 that he would not run for president in 2024. He later said he might run as a third-party candidate if the election was a rematch between Trump and Biden. This might have been with the No Labels group. At the end of 2023, Hogan left his role as co-chair of No Labels. In January 2024, he supported Nikki Haley for president.
After Haley stopped her campaign, Hogan said he would not vote for Trump or Biden. He said he would write in a vote to show his unhappiness with the Republican Party. When Kamala Harris became the Democratic nominee, Hogan repeated that he would not support Trump or Harris. On October 29, 2024, Hogan told CNN he would not vote for anyone for president.
2024 U.S. Senate Campaign
On February 9, 2024, Hogan surprisingly decided to run for U.S. Senate in Maryland. He wanted to take the place of the retiring Senator Ben Cardin. Hogan had often said he was not interested in running for Senate. But he changed his mind after many Republican senators voted against a border security and foreign aid bill. He also said former President George W. Bush convinced him to run. When he entered the race, Hogan quickly became the favorite for the Republican primary.
Hogan won the Republican primary election on May 14, 2024. He then faced Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks in the general election. The Washington Post said the election would "test how popular Hogan still is." This was especially true among Democrats, who outnumber Republicans in Maryland.
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During his campaign, Hogan supported increasing money for police and border patrol. He also wanted to lower federal taxes for businesses and seniors. Hogan said he would support federal laws to ban assault weapons. He also supported universal background checks for gun purchases. He supported Israel in the Israel–Hamas war. He said the war should not end until Hamas gives up and releases all hostages.
In May 2024, Hogan posted online that Americans should "respect the verdict and the legal process." This was about the legal case involving Donald Trump. Some pro-Trump Republicans criticized Hogan for this. However, in early June 2024, Donald Trump supported Hogan's Senate campaign. Hogan's campaign said he still did not support Trump for president.
Hogan lost to Angela Alsobrooks in the general election on November 5, 2024. His performance was the best for a Republican in a Maryland Senate race since 2006.
Personal Life
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While he was governor, Hogan lived in Government House in Annapolis. He lived there with his wife, Yumi Hogan. She is an artist from Korea and teaches at Maryland Institute College of Art. They met in 2001 and married in 2004. Hogan and his wife are Roman Catholic. Hogan is the stepfather to Yumi's three adult daughters from her first marriage. One of his stepdaughters, Jaymi Sterling, has been the state's attorney for St. Mary's County since 2023. Hogan's half-brother, Patrick N. Hogan, was a member of the Maryland House of Delegates.
In September 2014, Hogan said he lost weight while campaigning. He gained some back due to unhealthy eating and medicine for non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2015. He lost weight again during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In June 2015, Hogan announced he had stage-three non-Hodgkin lymphoma. He had chemotherapy treatments. In November 2015, he announced his cancer was in remission. He finished his last chemotherapy in October 2016 and was declared cancer-free. In January 2021, Hogan had surgery to remove early stage squamous cell skin cancer from his face and shoulder. He had a similar surgery in 2018.
In 2021, Hogan bought a home in Davidsonville, Maryland.
Images for kids
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Larry Hogan's signature
See also
In Spanish: Larry Hogan para niños
