In a state where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans two to one, Maryland statewide elections can often appear stacked against Republican candidates. This made it all the more shocking when, against all odds and all predictions, Maryland elected Republican Larry Hogan to the governor’s office last year. There are theories abound over the reason for his win, from low voter turnout to disapproval of Democratic fiscal policies.  Rather than analyzing the election’s results, perhaps the more significant question to ask is how Hogan’s policy decisions, particularly on social issues, will be viewed by a majority Democratic state, and particularly in overwhelmingly liberal Montgomery County.

As a candidate, Hogan tended to stray from social issues, preferring less divisive discussions of fiscal policy. However, recent explosive events made social issues impossible to ignore. The recent unrest in Baltimore, for instance, elicited a quick response from Hogan, who deployed the National Guard to the troubled city. Many praised the governor for his speedy reaction, but critics said he failed to address the flawed policing methods at the core of the issue. Junior Camilo Calvo-Alcaniz said the governor’s action was an effective quick fix, but left the central problem untouched.

“Hogan’s response to Baltimore showed that he wanted to end the crisis as quickly as possible, with the least amount of media outrage,” said Calvo-Alcaniz. “[However], systemic police corruption and discrimination is a much deeper issue than Hogan has addressed yet, and we have yet to see if he’ll attempt to address it at all.”

The debate over this issue intensified further after Hogan vetoed a bill that would have reined in police power, a veto that some saw as counterproductive. The bill, which included loosening punishments for marijuana possession and restricting civil forfeitures, passed by wide margins in the state legislature, and is generally popular with the public. However, the governor chose to veto the bill anyway, citing objections from police unions as his main motivation.

Calvo-Alcaniz suggested that it was not the police unions, but a broad ideological split, that led to Hogan’s veto.

“There’s a clear racial and political divide in how this country views its police force, and that divide makes it difficult for Republicans and Democrats to make any headway on this issue,” said Calvo-Alcaniz. “The most we can hope for is that public support of police reforms does something to change the governor’s mind.”

Notwithstanding the sparring over social issues, Hogan has encountered some bipartisan support over financial matters, his self-proclaimed specialty. Describing herself as generally liberal-minded, junior Sydney Comstock said that Hogan’s budget cutting, though controversial in cases of social welfare and education spending, is ultimately necessary.

“The budget has to be balanced,” said Comstock. “I would rather see more money going to social services and education [when possible], but the budget has to be settled.”

Ultimately, as Comstock put it, discussion of Hogan’s performance as governor is far from over. Moreover, it will not be just the liberal minds of Montgomery County that determine his legacy.

“We represent a small piece of this state,” said Comstock. “There are the suburbs of D.C., fishermen on the Chesapeake, farmers up north, and people from all economic walks of life. I hope [Hogan] is good enough to represent [all of these] unique constituencies.”