HOGAN APPOINTS REPUBLICAN RIVAL, 3 OTHERS TO CABINET, INCLUDING FORMER MOCO SENATOR

Let bygones be bygones, Maryland Governor-elect Larry Hogan appeared to say Thursday, as he appointed 2014 Republican primary rival David Craig as the state's next Secretary of Planning. Craig filed a complaint against Hogan during the heat of the race, charging that Hogan's campaign had improperly benefitted from the publicity, social media and contact list assets of Hogan's Change Maryland organization. Hogan denied wrongdoing, saying his campaign had purchased those assets at fair market value from Change Maryland. The complaint was ultimately dismissed by the State Board of Elections.

Craig, former executive of Harford County, has criticized some aspects of the Plan Maryland agenda heavily pushed by the administration of current Governor Martin O'Malley. While he likely will take concerns rural jurisdictions such as Carroll County have expressed with that so-called "smart growth" agenda more seriously, Craig has also implemented transit and bicycle oriented plans in Harford. His transportation wish list to the state last year included requests for more bicycle infrastructure, a queue-jumping lane for buses, and implementing Complete Streets principles and upgrades to MD 755. He also indicated that transit-oriented development, and a new train station, were priorities for Aberdeen.

Investment banker R. Michael Gill was appointed to an equally-critical position, that of Secretary of the Department of Business and Economic Development. Maryland has lost over 40% of its industrial jobs over the last 10 years, and the western counties have been particularly devastated. The most recent job creation report revealed that not only had Virginia whipped Maryland again, but that tiny Washington D.C. had generated more jobs in the most recent period than the entire state of Maryland.

Hogan returned to Montgomery County to select former State Senator Rona Kramer, a Democrat, as his Secretary of Aging.

He rounded out his picks by naming former state delegate and businessman Kenneth C. Holt as Secretary of the Department of Housing and Community Development.

“I am honored that all four distinguished Marylanders have agreed to join us in our effort to change Maryland for the better,” Hogan said at yesterday's press conference in Annapolis. He will be sworn in on January 21.