Maryland’s twice-elected Republican governor is holding on to his high approval marks in a new poll, and strong majorities have lots of nice things to say about his job performance. But that’s not translating to presidential support, data show.
Sixty-nine percent of Maryland adults approve of Larry Hogan’s performance as he’s starting his second term, according to a new Goucher Poll that surveyed 808 Maryland adults from Feb. 7-12. Some superlatives: Two-thirds of them also agreed Hogan “keeps his promises”; 85 percent concurred he’s “likeable”; 80 percent said he “can manage the government effectively”; and a nearly equal share said he “works well with both parties to get things done.”
But for the speculative next step of gunning for the White House, most Marylanders aren’t on board, the survey says. Fifty-five percent said Hogan shouldn’t run for president in 2020, while a third said he should.
Hogan hasn’t explicitly said he wants to to challenge Donald Trump—who, let’s note, logged a 30 percent approval mark among Marylanders in the same survey—though he’s hinted to CNN, “you never say never” and “who knows what’s going to happen?” He’s also used the outlet as a platform to openly criticize Trump and Democratic Congressional leaders about their fight over border funding.
A plurality of Maryland adults said they approve of the job done by the state legislature, with 41 percent giving the thumbs up for the General Assembly and 30 percent saying they disapprove of lawmakers’ performance.
On the issues, 16 percent said education is the most important matter facing the state, and 12 percent said crime, criminal justice or policing. A combined 21 percent pointed to an economic issue, including economic growths, taxes, jobs or the budget.
Here’s the full survey, which is part two in Goucher College’s Sarah T. Hughes Field Politics Center’s spring 2019 poll. Part one, released yesterday, found nearly three-fifths of Maryland adults support legalizing recreational weed, two-thirds support raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour—a leading issue in this ongoing General Assembly session—and 63 percent support banning Styrofoam products, another hot-button issue in Annapolis.
The poll also found white and black Marylanders agree race relations have soured in recent years, but highlighted considerable gaps between both races about the severity of issues like discrimination in the workplace, treatment by police and, more broadly, equal treatment within the criminal justice system.
Although it’s just anecdotal, I thought I’d say that I participated in the Fishbowl Survey about Hogan and a potential presidential run (very exciting!!). For what it’s worth, the reason I said I DON’T think he should run for President, is not because I think he wouldn’t be a good POTUS, but rather because I think he already is an ethical and effective governor for Maryland, and I don’t want to lose him when he has just been elected for a second term. Whether or not he could make it on the national stage, I’m not sure, although I think he could be a great senator for Maryland in the future. I certainly appreciate his willingness to “reach across the aisle” and compromise in order to serve the people he represents (meaning all of Maryland). Is he perfect? Probably not, but then who is? I am looking for a pragmatist, who doesn’t get in the dirt (à la Trump), but is willing to work with anyone who cares about Maryland to make it a better place for all of us.