Maryland Forward Party

I’m a die-hard liberal - I admit it. I’ve been a Democrat all my life. I care about all regardless of group, class, or demographic. I advocate for the betterment of all mankind, even if that social benefit requires a resources-based approach for funding (if you have more, you should pay more). However, I also believe that those social programs can only be enacted in the face of fiscal responsibility (in other words, they need to be paid for in current cash, not future debt). That is why I became a Forwardist - to be able to hold opinions across the political spectrum and not feel penned in by old-party politics.

So, given my liberal tendencies, it’s no surprise that I get asked, how can you support a Republican for Senate in Maryland? Maryland is a blue state which advocates for your liberal ideals! Aren’t you betraying your own beliefs? Well, I’m here to say “no.” That argument is a logical fallacy. Just because there is one way to get things done doesn’t make it the best way.

I think that electing Larry Hogan to the senate is the best choice for Maryland because he has made it abundantly clear that he is not beholden to either of the two major parties and it’s clear the two major parties have only their own best interests at heart.

Governor Hogan left office with a 70% approval rating. Stop and think about that for a minute - 7 out of 10 individuals in Maryland approved of a two-time Republican governor in a Democratic state. That should tell you something about how he worked across people’s interests to find a middle ground and, in fact more than a middle ground. The Maryland Forward Party supports the person, not the party. 

Further, Governor Hogan was elected to his second term with broad support - more than 55% - and the goal of the Maryland Forward Party is to ensure that every candidate is elected with more than 50%. That’s why Mr. Hogan supports our goal of Election Reform to eliminate “first-past-the-post” and establish a more robust system that ensures support by the majority, not the plurality, of the people. Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) is a good example of this kind of voting reform, and we support that reform due to its popularity and familiarity.

Governor Hogan set up independent redistricting commissions to end gerrymandering in our state. The recommendations made were considered fair and equitable and were summarily rejected by the Maryland State legislature, controlled by a single party, with the intent of maintaining that control. The Maryland Forward Party advocates for returning control of the legislature to the people and that starts with ensuring fair and equal opportunity for representation in the districts.

Mr. Hogan engaged with the Maryland Forward Party. In fact, he asked for our endorsement. The logical question then is “Why would such a popular governor engage with such a relatively up-start political party with no power?” The answer is relatively simple - Governor Hogan embodies our values of “Work Together, Not Against” and “More Listening, Less Talking” and he wants to ensure the voters understand that he’s committed to those values. By engaging with us, asking for our endorsement, he’s stating unequivocally that he values input from outside his own party and wants to work with others across the political spectrum.

Additionally, former Governor Hogan is an outspoken opponent of Mr. Trump. We have outlined in another blog why we are opposed to Mr. Trump and we feel Mr. Hogan is the candidate to provide a voice against that anti-democratic candidate, especially if the Senate turns Republican, as many predict.

Lastly, many will say we should elect the other candidate because we have an historic opportunity to elect an African-American woman to the Senate from Maryland for the first time. We agree this is an historic opportunity. Perhaps the historic opportunity is to elect an individual who has demonstrated a non-partisan, fiscally responsible, and inclusive nature that appeals to a super-majority of Marylanders.

So, I ask you to think in this election cycle - which of the candidates supports these values:

• -Diverse Thinking Isn't Just Welcome, It's Required
• -Bottom-Up, Not Top Down
• -Come as you are — Left, Right, or Center
• -More Listening, Less Talking
• -Work Together, Not Against
• -Grace and Tolerance

We hope you’ll agree that for Senator in Maryland, Larry Hogan is the choice that fits most Marylanders.