Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan recently sat down for a Q & A with the writers of The Ripon Forum, speaking candidly about his job, his agenda, his family and his ongoing battle with cancer.
Diagnosed with Stage III non-Hodgkin lymphoma in June, Hogan has stayed the course, not letting it effect his outlook on daily life or how he approaches his job as governor of Maryland.
“This new challenge has further reminded me how blessed I am to have an incredible family,” he said. “(Including) a loving wife, three wonderful daughters, a strong extended family, and many devoted friends. I am constantly comforted by the outpouring of support not only from the people of our state, but people from every state sending thoughts and prayers my way.”
“Since my diagnosis, I have realized just how short each day is, and every day that I am strong is another day I get to spend with the people I love and another day I can work to change Maryland,” he said. “I hope that in being candid about my battle with cancer, I can help bring awareness to the disease and comfort others affected by it as well.”
A Republican with a conservative agenda, just getting elected was a challenge to overcome in Maryland – a state that has only had two Republican governors in over 40 years. Hogan explained that his constituents elected him because he stood for a new direction and new hope.
“It’s pretty special, but I don’t think of it in terms of Republicans and Democrats,” Hogan said. “It’s much more important than that. This election was about change because Marylanders were fed up with politics as usual.”
One of Hogan’s most influential campaign ideas was his promise to repeal the state’s controversial “rain tax,” a vow that rang loud and true with most Marylanders.
“When I coined the term ‘rain tax,’ I wasn’t surprised it resonated so well with Marylanders and I’m still not, because it’s ridiculous,” the governor said. “We were the only state in the nation that taxes the rain. I made it a priority when I came into office to stand up for the taxpayers who elected me and stand up to repeal the rain tax, and that’s exactly what we did.”
Hogan also discussed the importance and strong influence of his family. He is the son of a former Congressman, and his wife, Yumi, is a first-generation Korean immigrant with a diverse background. He explained how both have been significant in shaping his political beliefs.
“My Dad is my biggest role model,” he said. “During the Nixon administration, when he was a member of the House Judiciary Committee investigating the Watergate scandal, I watched in awe as he became the first Republican to vote for President Nixon’s impeachment. I often say that I learned more about integrity from my dad during that single moment than most people learn in a lifetime. That’s when I learned that it’s not about party politics and partisanship.
“My wife is the first Asian First Lady in Maryland and the first Korean-American First Lady in the history of the United States,” Hogan said. “The first economic development mission trip of my administration was a 12-day trip to Asia. We met with government officials and business leaders in China, Japan and South Korea. I hope that building strong relations with our overseas partners will be an economic driver for our state, and the First Lady will play a key role in that.”