Angela Alsobrooks wins Maryland Senate primary in race that could determine chamber control

(CN) — Maryland voters Tuesday decided former Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks will face off against former GOP governor Larry Hogan in November in the race to fill one of the state's U.S. Senate seats.

The candidates aim to fill the Senate seat left open by Senator Ben Cardin’s looming retirement, setting up a fiercely competitive race in an otherwise Democratic stronghold.

Cardin, a 78-year-old three-term senator and a Democrat, announced his decision not to seek reelection in May 2023, opening the seat for the first time since 2006 when he was elected to the Senate after serving 20 years in the House of Representatives.

Alsobrooks defeated Representative David Trone, garnering 52.6% of the vote compared to his 43.4% as of 10:30 p.m. Eastern Time. According to the Maryland State Board of Elections, Alsobrooks received 166,837 votes while Trone received 137,631, with approximately 40% of the vote counted.

In a statement on X, formerly Twitter, Alsobrooks celebrated her victory.

"My name is Angela Alsobrooks, and I am officially your Democratic nominee in Maryland's Senate race," Alsobrooks posted at 9:58 p.m. Eastern Time after the Associated Press called the race for her. "On Nov. 5, 2024, we are going to defeat Larry Hogan, keep Maryland blue and keep our Senate under Democratic control — spread the word."

Hogan handily defeated his rival, Maryland State Delegate Robin Ficker, garnering 63% of the vote compared to Ficker's 29%, with 42% of the votes counted, according to the state board.

Following his victory, Hogan posted in a statement on X, touting his campaign as an “underdog.” 

“Tonight, I want to thank the people of Maryland for their continued support — the campaign for Maryland and America’s future begins now,” Hogan said.

Trone, who since 2019 has represented the state’s 6th District, entered the race to fill Cardin’s seat soon after the senator announced his retirement. Trone, who cofounded and owns the country's largest independent alcohol retailer, Total Wine & More, primarily ran a self-funded campaign. 

As of April 24, Trone had raised $54.9 million, of which $54.1 million came from a personal loan Trone made to his campaign, according to Federal Election Commission filings. With April’s updated figures, Trone’s campaign became the highest funded Senate campaign, raising more than Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz’s $51.2 million, according to his most recent March 31 filings.

Trone’s considerable war chest far outpaced Alsobrooks — who raised $7.8 million as of April 24, according to FEC filings — outspending her by $46.4 million. 

Trone defended his wealth, touting his campaign as independent from influence by political action committees, lobbyists and corporations, noting on his campaign website that he has “never taken a nickel” from such groups. 

Despite raising considerably less than her rival, Alsobrooks received key endorsements from Maryland’s Democratic establishment, including those of Maryland Governor Wes Moore and Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen. 

While Trone seemed to have a clear advantage in early polling — an April 10 Baltimore Sun poll showed Trone leading Alsobrooks 48% to 29% — Alsobrooks appeared to catch up in recent weeks, with a May 8 poll by The Hill showing her leading 47% to 44%.

Susan Turnbull, the former chair of the Maryland Democratic Party and former vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, volunteered outside the Connie Morella Library in Bethesda in a last-minute push to turn out voters for Alsobrooks.

Turnbull, speaking in an interview with Courthouse News as a volunteer, said she felt that Maryland voters had come to know and respect the candidate over the past year.

She noted that Alsobrooks has been “unwavering” in her support of abortion rights, drawing a stark contrast between Trone, who has reportedly donated to Republican officials responsible for restrictive abortion bans, such as Texas Governor Greg Abbott and former North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory. 

Turnbull said she expected reproductive rights to be a top issue for many voters on Tuesday, considering Hogan vetoed legislation to end a restriction that only physicians provide abortions. His veto was overridden by Democrats in the state legislature, but the actions were indicative of how he would vote were he elected to the U.S. Senate. 

Maryland voters will be able to directly vote on whether to enshrine the right to an abortion in November after state lawmakers passed an amendment to add “reproductive freedom” to the state’s constitution. 

Beyond abortion rights, Turnbull said, Alsobrooks' candidacy could also mark a historic change for the state’s congressional delegation, which has never included a Black representative or senator. Currently, Turnbull pointed out, the state is entirely represented by white men.

Barbara Ann, a retiree living in Bethesda, voted in person on Tuesday despite consistent bouts of rain, and said in an interview with Courthouse News that she didn’t see much difference between the two Democratic Senate candidates in terms of policies. 

She said that women’s issues were her key policy concern, and added that Trone’s record-breaking fundraising turned her away from voting for him. 

Eric Wachter, a communications consultant in Bethesda, said in an interview with Courthouse News that he felt the “narrative” that Trone had an electability advantage in a general election race because of his fundraising was exaggerated. He explained he felt that as a heavily blue state, any Democrat would have such an advantage over Hogan. 

While Wachter did not say who he voted for, he said he was not “tremendously comfortable” with Trone’s extreme fundraising, adding his concern about the idea of someone essentially buying an election. But he emphasized that his main focus was the issues of healthcare, the economy and Israel. 

In a normal race, Alsobrooks, as the Democratic candidate, would be a shoo-in for November’s general election, especially considering Maryland overwhelmingly voted for President Joe Biden 65% to Donald Trump’s 32% in 2020. 

But with Hogan’s last-minute entry, Maryland’s election has become one of the most-watched races in the country with control of the narrowly divided Senate hanging in the balance. 

Hogan served two terms as governor, from 2015 until 2023, and left office as one of the most popular governors in the country with a 77% approval rating. After his second term ended, Hogan was viewed as a potential contender for the Republican nomination for president, but announced in March 2023 he would not seek the nomination. 

In January 2024, after months of speculation that he may run as a third-party candidate, Hogan endorsed Nikki Haley, saying she would have a better chance of beating President Joe Biden than Donald Trump or Ron DeSantis. 

In announcing his campaign for Cardin’s seat, Hogan said he decided to run “not to serve one party, but to try to be part of the solution: to fix our nation’s broken politics and fight for Maryland.” 

Hogan, who campaigned for governor as a moderate Republican, became an outspoken critic of Trump during his presidency, recently saying he would not vote for Trump in November. He faces an uphill battle in the state as he aims to become the first Republican in over 40 years to win a Senate seat where Democrats outnumber Republicans by a two-to-one ratio.

The general election will take place Nov. 5, 2024.

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