The selection of Maryland’s gubernatorial nominee will be one of the interesting political proxy wars of 2022. The extraordinarily popular, but term-limited, Republican governor (and dark horse 2024 presidential candidate), Larry Hogan, is one of the few center-right Republicans to have recently dominated a blue state.
Hogan recently and enthusiastically endorsed his former secretary of commerce (prior to that, secretary of labor), Kelly Schulz, to succeed him as governor. Hogan: “Kelly stood up with us when we stopped every single tax increase for eight years, when we cut taxes eight years in a row by nearly $4 billion, when we took us from 49th to sixth (fastest growing state in the U.S.), it was the biggest economic turnaround in America. Kelly Schulz was a big part of that effort.”
Previously, former president Donald Trump, taking a swipe at an unphasable Gov. Hogan, had endorsed Del. Dan Cox. He called Mr. Cox “MAGA all the way.” Per The Hill: “Hogan … previously referred to Cox, who entered the race in July, as a ‘QAnon conspiracy theorist. … He’s certainly not the kind of person I would vote to put in the legislature or support in any way for anything,’ Hogan said of Cox earlier this year.”
No love lost between Trump and Hogan. But advantage: Schulz.
Trump lost Maryland in 2020 by a landslide almost 2-1 margin. Hogan won reelection in 2018 by a handsome 55-43 margin.
I’ve only met Kelly Schulz once, at a GOP county committee pizza party in Rockville, Md. She blew the room away. How?
Kelly Schulz, per her campaign website, “While raising her boys, Kelly put herself through college and worked as a server and bartender in the evenings and on weekends, yet always made time to serve on the school PTA and to volunteer with (her sons’) sports teams. Kelly went on to work as a program manager for a defense contractor and then became a partner in opening a small business — a cybersecurity firm.”
Horatio Alger, call your office.
How does someone go from being a single mom bartender/waitress to one of the most powerful officials in America and on to become the favorite to win a governorship? An extraordinary “rags-to-(political)-riches story” is unfolding in Maryland.
Elected to the Maryland House of Delegates, Schulz distinguished herself by her ability to get things done, impressing Governor-elect Hogan on whose “Change Maryland” team she served with distinction.
Schulz offered to serve as the governor-elect’s secretary of labor. Word on the street is that Gov. Hogan responded by saying it was the worst (meaning most thankless) job in his cabinet.
Which did not dissuade Kelly Schulz.
Given her own up-by-her-bootstraps history it comes as no surprise to learn that, per Open.Maryland.gov, Kelly Schulz observed that “Reaching 10,000 apprentices is an achievement that has only happened twice in the history of the program. … I’m proud to see so many Marylanders expand their skillsets and I look forward to seeing more businesses take on apprentices throughout the state.”
And, as quoted in Maryland’s The Daily Record, Schulz expressed pride that “We brought the idea of an alternative path to a successful professional career into every household and educated people, and as a result, for the first time, Maryland has a statewide youth apprenticeship program that directly connects students with real jobs that lead to a lifetime of economic and personal growth.”
Did someone say Apprentice?
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, a wealthy New York City real estate developer, born with a silver spoon in his mouth, launched a 14-season “reality” television series.
“The Apprentice.”
Donald Trump moved from savvy real estate developer and virtuoso self-promoter to a second, lucrative, career as “reality” TV star. This apprenticeship, it turned out, proved a life saver.
Per Vanity Fair,
“As revealed by the New York Times this week, The Apprentice played a huge role in boosting President Donald Trump’s financial prospects — even if he reportedly spent $70,000 on hairstyling one year for his appearance on the show. The Apprentice premiered in 2004. That year, according to the Times, Trump reported $89.9 million in net losses on his federal income tax return. But Trump made an estimated $197 million over the lifespan of the show, plus an additional $230 million ‘from the fame associated with it.’ Trump’s brash turn on The Apprentice offered him numerous ancillary opportunities, including $500,000 to hawk Double Stuf Oreos, $850,000 to pitch laundry detergent, and $500,000 to promote Domino’s Pizza — an ad campaign famously spoofed by Saturday Night Live.”
Looks like Kelly Schulz is on to something profound, effective, and dignified with her devotion to apprenticeships. Real world, not “reality” TV, apprenticeships: a program “that directly connects students with real jobs that lead to a lifetime of economic and personal growth.”
Ralph Benko, co-author of "The Capitalist Manifesto" and chairman and co-founder of "The Capitalist League," is the founder of The Prosperity Caucus and is an original Kemp-era member of the Supply-Side revolution that propelled the Dow from 814 to its current heights and world GDP from $11T to $94T. Read Ralph Benko's reports — More Here.
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