An unusually competitive Senate race in Maryland went down to the wire Tuesday night. Democrat Angela Alsobrooks hoped her robust polling lead would turn into victory against Republican Larry Hogan, a former two-term governor who was banking on his popularity to fuel an upset win in the deep-blue state.
Ms. Alsobrooks, the Prince George’s County executive, and Mr. Hogan spent heavily in the closely watched race, which could determine whether Republicans take control of the upper chamber in Congress.
Ms. Alsobrooks led by double digits in most polls heading into Election Day, but Mr. Hogan relied on a bipartisan record and name recognition to court voters from the Democratic Party.
“It’s been really great momentum over the past couple of weeks. We really feel like we’re surging, and I feel like we’re going to pull off the biggest upset in America tonight,” Mr. Hogan said Tuesday after casting his ballot in Anne Arundel County.
Ms. Alsobrooks warned that Mr. Hogan would buttress a Republican majority and its priorities. She was buoyed by direct support from Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat who took the unusual step of endorsing her in the primary against nine other candidates.
Former President Barack Obama backed her in ads, and Vice President Kamala Harris told voters she was “counting on you to support my friend Angela Alsobrooks.”
Maryland polls closed at 8 p.m.
Ms. Alsobrooks, 53, rose through the ranks in the legal field and county government and, in 2018, became the first Black woman elected to the office of county executive in Maryland history. During her Senate campaign, she emphasized public safety and education, saying she broke ground on 10 new schools. She also pointed to her role as a mother raising her daughter, Alex, in Upper Marlboro.
“In her first election, Alex got to vote for her mom for Senate, and for Kamala Harris to be our next president,” Ms. Alsobrooks said on X after they voted.
The winner will fill the seat being vacated by Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin, a Democrat. Maryland’s other senator, Chris Van Hollen, is also a Democrat. The state hasn’t sent a Republican senator to Capitol Hill since Charles “Mac” Mathias in the 1980s.
Mr. Hogan, 68, served as governor from 2015 to 2023. He openly courted Harris supporters in an attempt to win over ticket splitters. The state has conservative pockets, particularly in Western Maryland and the Eastern Shore, but is relatively liberal overall.
During the campaign, Mr. Hogan highlighted his support for abortion rights and efforts as governor to cut taxes and tolls. He criticized former President Donald Trump, and much of his campaign was centered on his willingness to work across the aisle.
Mr. Hogan pointed to his work as governor to staff schools with police officers, given concerns about classroom shootings, and criticized Ms. Alsobrooks for owing back taxes on a D.C. property because it no longer qualified for special exemptions when it was deeded to her from relatives in 2003.
Yet Democrats spent heavily on the race and emphasized the basic math in the Senate.
Democrats were clinging to a vulnerable Senate majority heading into Election Day, so every seat mattered in determining which party would set the agenda and hold the committee gavels next year.
Mr. Hogan considered a presidential run this cycle as voters grumbled about their choices at the top of the ticket. After passing on a presidential campaign, he opted for a Senate bid after Republican leaders pleaded for him to run.
Ms. Alsobrooks used those dynamics to her advantage. In fundraising pitches, she told supporters that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and other senior Republicans were using Maryland to seize the majority.
She said too much was at stake to trust a Republican.
“The Republican Party has declared war on women’s reproductive freedoms,” she said during a debate with Mr. Hogan. “We recognize that this party of chaos and division that is led by Donald Trump is one that cannot lead our country and also has severe consequences for Marylanders.”
Mr. Hogan rebutted by saying he would vote to codify abortion protections that were enshrined in the Roe v. Wade decision of 1973 until the Supreme Court overturned it in 2022.
Mr. Hogan’s relationship with Mr. Trump was a subplot of the race.
Mr. Trump endorsed Mr. Hogan, forcing the Republican candidate to reject the support.
“I’m not supporting Trump and not voting for Trump. You know, my position is very clear,” Mr. Hogan told WTOP in the final days of the race.
He was responding to reports of a private embrace of the endorsement.
“The guy said something about Trump hating me, and I just said, ‘Actually, Trump endorsed me,’ Mr. Hogan said. “That’s all there is to it. It didn’t change my position on that endorsement, and there’s no story there whatsoever.”
While Mr. Hogan grappled with Mr. Trump, Ms. Alsobrooks embraced the Democrats’ heavy hitters, highlighting Ms. Harris’ ad on her behalf and welcoming Mr. Obama’s voice of support during a phone banking session.
“She has consistently looked out for and championed ordinary folk,” Mr. Obama said.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.