CHESTERTOWN, MD—On Tuesday, November 12, the Institute for Religion, Politics, and Culture at Washington College will host prominent Maryland conservatives Dan Bongino and Brian Murphy to present their views on “The Ideas that Will Shape America’s Future.” Co-hosted by the Washington College Republicans, the event begins at 4:30 p.m. in Hynson Lounge. It is free and open to the public. 

Dan Bongino is a former New York City police officer who joined the U.S. Secret Service in 1999, eventually serving the maximum possible time as part of the Presidential Protective Division. Bongino became involved in Maryland politics after resigning from the Service in 2011. Campaigning for the Senate, he won the Republican primary but was defeated by incumbent Ben Cardin. Now a consultant specializing in international security and corporate strategy, he is campaigning for Congress in Maryland’s Sixth District. Bongino has provided expertise and commentary for NBC Nightly News, the Fox News Channel, CNN, MSNBC, and others. He holds an undergraduate degree and a master’s in psychology from City University of New York and a master’s of business administration from Penn State. 

Businessman Brian Murphy is a former Maryland gubernatorial candidate who grew up in Easton, where he now runs The Plimhimmon Group, an investment firm he founded in 2008. Murphy holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Maryland and a master’s degree in business from the University of Pennsylvania. From 1999 through 2008, Murphy was a portfolio manager for Constellation Energy in Baltimore. He unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for governor in 2010 and has since remained active in the party.