Here's a run-down on Maryland's historic Senate race
Courtesy of Angela Alsobrooks campaign / Flickr / Illustration by The Black Explosion
Maryland’s Senate election on Nov. 5 is shaping up to be one of the most contentious senate races in the United States this year. Together, Democratic candidate Angela Alsobrooks and Republican candidate Larry Hogan have raised historic amounts of money, and projections for the result of this election change day by day.
Alsobrooks, a native of Prince George’s County, has been involved in politics for decades. She was the Prince George’s County assistant state attorney in 1997, was elected as the Prince George’s County state attorney in 2010, and was elected as Prince George’s County executive in 2018.
Hogan, another native of Prince George’s County, has also been involved in politics nearly all his life. His father, Lawrence Hogan Sr, represented Maryland’s 5th congressional district from 1969 to 1975 and is the last Republican to represent the district. The younger Hogan worked in the Tallahassee State House, in his father’s administration when Hogan Sr. became county executive for Prince George’s County, as secretary for former Maryland governor Bob Ehrlich, and served two terms as Maryland governor.
“Both are pretty well-liked by Maryland and … [they] both say … ‘I really liked working with [the other]’ back when they weren’t fighting for [the] Senate seat,” said Jordan Williamson, a senior accounting major.
The candidates worked together when Alsobrooks was a county executive and Hogan was governor. Their campaigns have been marked by their cordiality to each other–a rare occurrence in a country that becomes more politically polarized by the day.
Both Hogan and Alsobrooks support codifying abortion rights, oppose former President Donald Trump, and oppose Project 2025, a political agenda supported by Trump allies. Both candidates also support affordable housing, the introduction of the child tax credit, and Israel’s right to defend itself. However, Alsobrooks supports expanding the Supreme Court and eliminating the filibuster in the Senate, while Hogan opposes these measures.
Hogan’s allies have funded television ads attacking Alsobrooks for owing $47,000 in taxes and interest on a D.C. property, though Hogan himself is dismissive of the issue. Time Magazine recently reported that during his time as governor, Hogan voted multiple times as a member of the State Board of Public Workers to give state loans or grants to clients of his Annapolis real estate brokerage firm.
Hogan’s reputation as a fair governor has helped him thus far in the race, and he champions himself as someone who can lead bipartisan deals in Congress. However, Alsobrooks and her allies have noted that many Republicans support Hogan’s Senate bid, including former President Donald Trump and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnel.
“I kind of followed Hogan’s policies when he was governor,” said Olivia Calkins, a sophomore landscape architecture major. “[However], I support [Alsobrooks] more than I support Hogan … just because I think he would support the GOP more strongly even though he says he would be independent.”
According to the New York Times, as of Nov. 5 at 9:25 am, Alsobrooks has an 11% lead over Hogan. With control of the Senate hanging in the balance, the results of this election will affect American politics for years to come.