Daily Times Editorial Board endorses Larry Hogan for Maryland governor

The Daily Times Editorial Board | The Daily Times

Show Caption Hide Caption Direct from the Candidates: Larry Hogan for Governor Hear directly from Larry Hogan, Republican incumbent candidate for Governor of Maryland, in this unedited interview with the Daily Times.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This endorsement in the Maryland gubernatorial was decided solely by the editorial board and did not involve news reporters who cover elections.

Maryland voters can choose between two well-qualified candidates for governor. Both are knowledgeable, attuned to business as well as government issues, and both are pleasant in demeanor, approachable and thoughtful individuals.

Republican Larry Hogan is the incumbent and is finishing his first term in office. He hit the ground running the day he was inaugurated by putting the brakes on an unpopular phosphorus management bill passed during the Martin O'Malley administration until he could gather stakeholders around the negotiating table to work out a compromise.

Hogan's most notable trait is his desire to seek consensus or compromise, to bring all parties to the table to work toward a resolution that works for everyone. He travels the state frequently, attending events and learning the culture of Maryland's different regions.

He spoke, for example, of Salisbury's downtown revitalization efforts, saying the city is on the road to becoming a cool place that's attractive to millennials. He understands the need to provide more opportunities for young people through more and better jobs, but also to create a hip vibe to the city's culture.

Furthermore, Hogan doesn't rest on his laurels. When touting his achievements, he always talks about next steps in the process. He's not afraid to call out others and hold them accountable — and does so without being confrontational or alienating.

Despite a serious cancer diagnosis early in his administration, Hogan has not stopped working in a bipartisan fashion to unite Marylanders and address important issues facing the state.

His Democratic challenger is Ben Jealous, a Rhodes scholar and former national president and CEO of the NAACP. Currently, a firm he is associated with invests in companies working toward progressive social change. He describes himself as a visionary rooted in small business.

Notably, on his website Jealous makes mention of how he proposes to pay for his proposals. A portion of his platform relies heavily on legalization of cannabis to fund initiatives — far from a reliable income stream and one facing an uphill approval process.

Direct from the Candidates: Ben Jealous for Governor Hear directly from Ben Jealous, Democratic candidate for Governor of Maryland, in this unedited interview with the Daily Times.

A native of Baltimore, Jealous makes mention of Salisbury on his campaign website and spoke confidently about some of the more unique issues the Lower Shore faces, including the disproportionate cost of living in our rural area as compared to pay scales, thanks to the nature of a beach resort economy and a college town with off-campus housing.

Jealous and Hogan are similarly positioned on some issues, such as using agricultural land for large-scale solar arrays instead of crops. Hogan, who supports exploring alternative energy, said he supports development of solar power but has concerns about using farmland for that purpose. Jealous is likewise concerned about this use of farmland, but suggested expanding other ways to develop solar power — accelerating the use of rooftop solar panels, for example.

In other areas, the two differ in approach to the same issue.

Hogan touts the expanding More Jobs for Marylanders Act to encourage growth of manufacturing in Maryland by providing tax incentives, and his desire to relieve student debt to keep young people positioned to remain on the Shore.

Jealous would also encourage public schools, as well as colleges, to tailor programs to the jobs available regionally. He also sees public transportation as a key piece to the puzzle, but on a demand basis similar to Uber's business model.

Jealous also mentioned raising the minimum wage to $15, an idea Hogan has previous said he is wary of. .

Overall, Hogan's passion and track record of favoring collaboration and compromise over division led us to favor Hogan for a second term as governor.

The Maryland general election is Nov. 6, with early voting Oct. 25-Nov. 1.

More: Hogan, Jealous square off in lone debate

More: Hogan takes big lead over Jealous in poll