Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has cast his vote for Ronald Reagan in the 2020 presidential election “because he wanted to make a statement and felt he could in a state where the president is deeply unpopular,” the Washington Post reports.
Reagan, who ignored the AIDS crisis for most of his presidency, a post he won after campaigning for years using racist dog whistles, remains popular among conservatives, especially those disaffected by Donald Trump. He would not be available to serve if enough alienated Republicans followed Hogan’s lead, as he died 16 years ago.
In 2016, the governor wrote in the name of his father, Larry Hogan Sr., rather than support Trump, his party’s nominee. Hogan Sr. was then alive; he died the following year.
Andrew Beaujon joined Washingtonian in late 2014. He was previously with the Poynter Institute, TBD.com, and Washington City Paper. He lives in Del Ray.
