Blue-State Republican

Mileah K. Kromer is Associate Professor of Political Science and Director of the Sarah T. Hughes Center for Politics at Goucher College. She is the founder of the Goucher College Poll, which measures the opinions of Maryland residents and voters on important policy, social, and economic issues.

“Donald Trump’s Republican Party is not the only GOP. Moderate Republicans such as Maryland Governor Larry Hogan present a different model-one that used to dominate much of the electoral map but has now dwindled to a handful of states, most of them normally Democratic. Mileah Kromer does a splendid job of depicting Hogan as the blue-state Republican. Hogan’s two victories in territory usually hostile to the GOP suggest the path other Republicans can take to win in blue and competitive purple states.”-Larry J. Sabato, Director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics “Blue-State Republican is a master class in Governor Larry Hogan’s improbable rise to power in deep-blue Maryland in 2014 and a lesson in why he may beat expectations again if he runs for president. Kromer has long been a go-to source for reporters covering Maryland politics. With this book, she establishes herself as a resource for anyone trying to understand Hogan’s place in the modern Republican Party. Time will tell if there is room in Donald Trump’s GOP for a centrist. If Hogan’s gamble pays off, then Kromer is offering us the first look at his recipe-an approach others may try to emulate. Even for those of us who had a front-row seat to Hogan’s rise, Blue-State Republican is an illuminating take on one of the most compelling and counterintuitive political stories of our time.”-John Fritze, USA Today, and former Washington correspondent for the Baltimore Sun"What’s particularly good is not just [Kromer's] even-handed narrative about the campaigns, but the access she gained to Hogan’s behind the scenes polling and strategizing in both campaigns and the governing that followed. Unlike the bloviating by some academics that reporters contact for observations about political events, Kromer has been playing close attention and knows what she’s talking about. There are many pluses to Kromer’s book. Not just its balance and analysis backed by facts and data.... And it explains to the dismay of both Trumpers and progressives how an essentially conservative man has been able to govern as a popular moderate."-Maryland Reporter "In this well-researched and objective account, Mileah K. Kromer provides an in-depth analysis of how Republican Larry Hogan was able to be elected and reelected while maintaining a high level of popularity throughout his time as governor of Maryland-a state known for its diversity, Democratic dominance, and liberalism.... It is a must-read for students of state politics and political management."-Perspecitves on Politics