'The way it always used to be.' Hogan and Moore begin Maryland's transition of power

Two days after the first national election since the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, Maryland’s Republican Governor Larry Hogan harkened back to a shared history after meeting with Democratic Governor-Elect Wes Moore to discuss the transition.

Hogan, who is term-limited, has been among the most vocal critics of Republican former President Donald Trump. The violence on Jan. 6 disrupted the routine process of certifying election results and transitioning from one administration to the next, a hallmark of American democracy.

“This really is important,” said Hogan, standing alongside Moore, during a press conference in the State House after their meeting. “This is the way it always used to be.”

Hogan referenced the “first peaceful transfer of power” when General George Washington resigned his command of the Continental Army in 1783 after the Revolutionary War. The outgoing governor and the governor-elect stood beneath a painting that captured that moment, which occurred “right down the hall,” Hogan told reporters standing near the Old Senate Chamber.

“This is what the people want,” said Moore, an Army veteran who defeated Republican Dan Cox, a Trump supporter. “This is the way it should be.”

Transition work begins ‘officially’

Hogan selected Lieutenant Governor Boyd Rutherford to lead the administration’s transition efforts prior to Election Day and the work started formally on Thursday.

“I have met with Governor-elect Moore’s office to officially initiate the transition process,” said Rutherford, in a release.

Hogan said briefing books have been prepared on every single state agency.

Assisting Rutherford are chief of staff Amelia Chassé Alcivar; special advisor Matt McDaniel; deputy chief of staff Ryan Snow; and senior advisor Chris Shank, a former state senator and delegate who represented Washington County.

Moore said that while the focus was on Election Day, the work that he and his team were doing in preparation for the transition had been “happening prior.”

The inauguration is scheduled for Jan. 18, 2023, and the work in Annapolis continues both substantively and symbolically, as the State House and surrounding area is under construction.

“We’re both committed to making sure that the government continues to function,” Hogan said.

Moore, who earned about 60% of the vote as ballots continue to be tallied on Thursday, called his campaign the “world’s longest job interview, with over six million hiring managers,” referencing the state's six million-plus residents.

“What the people of Maryland are asking for in this moment is, we, as the governor and governor-elect,” Moore said, “that our priority is them.”

Dwight A. Weingarten is an investigative reporter, covering the Maryland State House and state issues. He can be reached at dweingarten@gannett.com or on Twitter at @DwightWeingart2.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Larry Hogan, Wes Moore begin Maryland's transition of power