From campus to candidacy: Corey Hogan enters federal race for Calgary Confederation
By Holly Anghel, April 21 2025—
Liberal candidate Corey Hogan is no stranger to the University of Calgary — in fact, he refers to it as his second home. Currently on leave from his role as Vice President of Communications and Community Engagement at the university, Hogan is campaigning to represent Calgary Confederation in the upcoming federal election.
“I remember running around what was then MacKimmie Library — before it was MacKimmie Tower – as a kid,” Hogan said in an interview with the Gauntlet. “My dad was a professor of medicine, so I’ve always grown up with the University being pretty central to my life.”
Hogan briefly attended the University of Calgary before pursuing his Master of Business Administration at Western University. It wasn’t until a 2016 government meeting hosted on campus that he reconnected with the institution.
“I was a senior official for the Government of Alberta, and I remember looking out from the top floor of Hotel Alma, seeing all the new buildings and hearing about all the success of the University. I thought, ‘Oh my god, this university is so different than I knew it in the ’90s — and it is so cool,’” said Hogan.
Hogan officially returned to the university in 2020, after leaving public service following the election of the United Conservative Party in 2019. He accepted a position as Senior Associate Vice President of Communications at the University of Calgary, choosing it over a more senior role at the University of Alberta.
“While full Vice President is more senior than Senior AVP, I realized I would much rather be at the University of Calgary. The energy was so much better… It felt like I was coming home.” In 2024, Hogan was promoted to full Vice President.
From strategist to candidate
Although Hogan may have stepped away from partisan politics, he did not leave the political arena entirely. As a co-host of the popular Apple Podcast The Strategists, he remained an active political commentator, offering insights into Canadian politics alongside fellow strategists.
Growing instability abroad has reignited his sense of duty, inspiring him to re-enter the political sphere.
“It is a really deathly serious time, and we need serious responses to it,” Hogan said. “If we care about this country and we love this country, then we need to fight for this country.”
Initially reluctant to run, Hogan was approached after the Liberal Party of Canada parted ways with their original Calgary Confederation candidate, Thomas Keeper, after he failed to disclose a past domestic assault charge from 2005.
“I live in Confederation, I work in Confederation, my kids go to school in Confederation,” said Hogan.
After careful deliberation and support from his family, Hogan agreed to take the nomination.
“It’s a really important time and people need to step up — I can’t just ask other people to step up, it’s probably my time to step up and see what I can do to help this country,” said Hogan.
A platform rooted in education
Among Hogan’s top platform points is investing in post-secondary education.
“If we are going to strengthen this country, if we are going to create the kind of future that we talk about creating for ourselves, it starts through universities and higher education,” he said. “We need to innovate, and we need to make higher education more accessible so we can create the leaders of tomorrow and maximize human talent in this country.”
He emphasized not only accessibility but also the importance of supporting faculty and investing in research opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate students.
“Universities are so much a part of who I am,” he added. “I’ve seen firsthand what it looks like when really brilliant, passionate people are trying to change the world. It’s incredible, and we need to do more to support our universities and the people at our universities.”
On student activism and campus protests
When asked about the recent surge in campus protests and student calls for the federal government to take a stronger stance on the genocide in Gaza, Hogan offered a careful response.
“I’m not going to use the word ‘genocide’ until the International Court of Justice (ICJ) makes its ruling,” he said. “But what is happening is horrific. We need a durable ceasefire and a two-state solution rooted in the 1967 borders.”
The International Court of Justice manages disputes between nations in accordance with International Law. The ICJ has indicated that the way Israel had prosecuted the war is genocidal in nature, but has not come to a conclusive agreement about whether Israel has committed genocide. However, Amnesty International — an organization which helps fight abuses of human rights worldwide — has concluded that Israel has committed and is continuing to commit genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
“There is good reason to be passionate about a lot of things in the world,” he stated. “I hope that students will continue to use their voice on issues they are passionate about.”
Responding to campus controversy
In response to a recent article implicating him in the University of Calgary’s handling of a free Palestine encampment in 2024, Hogan clarified his role in the decision-making process.
“I think we all know that the Vice President of Communications is not making those decisions. It’s not to say I wasn’t part of those conversations, but those decisions involve legal frameworks, legal decisions from external counsel, and a lot of other things going on,” said Hogan.
He clarified that while he may have participated in conversations surrounding the plan to remove the free Palestine encampment in 2024 and authored follow-up communications about the decision, his role should not be conflated with decision-making authority.
“I don’t know how it was drawn that I was at the center of all this,” said Hogan. “At the end of the day, someone has to summarize the meeting and send it to the rest of the team, and that was my job that day.”
Looking ahead
Hogan concluded the interview with a direct message to voters, particularly students, about what’s at stake in this election.
“This is a big election. People get tired of politicians saying that, but I think we all know it… The question is, what kind of leadership are we going to want as Canadians?” he said. “Do we want far-right Danielle Smith allies like Pierre Poilievre and Jeremy Nixon? Or do we want a strong, sensible leadership — leadership that doesn’t always get it right but is always going to try their best.”
The federal election is scheduled for Monday, April 28th, 2025. For more information about how and where to vote, visit Elections Canada.