What we can learn from Larry Hogan’s selfless decision

Having served with him as co-chairs of No Labels, we both know that former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) has the temperament, record, and judgement to make an excellent president. That’s why we think everyone who cares about our democracy should take a moment to consider the implications of his deciding not to seek the Republican nomination. As he explained, his decision not to run was born of his desire to give more light and air to other candidates carrying a torch for bipartisan problem solving. The fact that he concluded that the Republican primary could not accommodate more figures who embrace that philosophy speaks volumes about the state of our politics.

Some will argue that the current state of affairs in both parties — namely the pull to the right among Republicans, and the pull to the left among Democrats — reflects some core shift in the electorate’s sensibilities. But that confuses and conflates two separate issues. It is certainly true that the Democrats are more liberal than they were a generation ago, and that Republicans have become more conservative. But most Americans remain as eager for bipartisan solutions as they ever were — and as impatient to see the two parties work together. Unfortunately, for the same reason Hogan chose not to run for the Republican nomination, the two parties remain uninterested in delivering on that popular desire. And that’s one reason Americans are so disgusted with Washington.

That, it seems to us, should be the key takeaway from Hogan’s choice. He chose not to run because the dynamics defining the two parties no longer allow for collaborative leaders to prevail. And that’s not just true in presidential elections — it’s the most important dynamic affecting senatorial, congressional, state, and local primaries as well. To become a Republican or Democratic nominee today, the biggest incentives are to be a partisan warrior rather than a problem solver. And so leaders like Hogan, who had proven himself to be a capable, inspiring, and effective Republican while presiding over a deep blue Democratic state, enter presidential stakes at a striking disadvantage.

As we know, Hogan would agree, the real problem with this isn’t that worthy and talented public figures may struggle to find a “lane” down which to win the GOP nomination. Rather, the issue is that a system dominated through the primaries by the ideological extremes will not produce general election candidates who can appeal to a broad majority of Americans and govern as commonsense problem solvers.

That’s why Washington has for years failed to produce the most obvious commonsense compromises, like, for example, passing an immigration bill that both secures the border and allows the Dreamers, brought to the United States illegally as children, to remain in America without fear of deportation. We should be able to have legislation that both secures our energy supply and diversifies our energy supply with more renewable resources. These need not be “either/or” types of propositions. But if Americans want Washington to produce these sorts of two-party solutions, they need to elect leaders committed to seeing them through.

It wasn’t always like this and it won’t remain like this. One of the great miracles of our constitutional system is that political dynamics are always changing. Today, as we know from our work together at No Labels, a whole range of efforts are underway to push the parties together using a combination of honey and vinegar. It’s not just that we want to see friends like Larry Hogan chart their way to the presidency — it’s that the country needs figures with his outlook and values to prevail. We appreciate his decision, and hope that his selflessness inspires the next generation of problem-solving leaders to keep up the fight.

Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. and Sen. Joe Lieberman are co-chairs of No Labels.