In her speech at the Democratic National Convention, Angela Alsobrooks told some of her personal stories and had about eight minutes to shine in an eloquent speech. The Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Maryland had a giant platform on one of the political world’s biggest stages, where she hailed Kamala Harris for her public safety record and as a friend.
However, in Maryland, critics and supporters of Alsobrooks say her visibility on the national stage at the DNC is not translating across the state. In letters to The Baltimore Sun, they question and blame the Democratic National Committee for giving Republican Senate Larry Hogan an easy race. They say they don’t see many campaign stops, campaign offices, yard signs or television ads, compared to the former governor’s robust operation.
Concerns intensified this week as a new AARP poll, which surveyed voters before Alsobrooks’ speech at the DNC, showed Alsobrooks and Hogan in a dead heat. Each attracted 46% of the vote, with 8% undecided. The poll also revealed that Alsobrooks is struggling with name recognition.
But what may appear to voters as a nonchalant or disorganized campaign may be strategy. One of her senior advisors told The Baltimore Sun that she’s ramping up her paid communications in September and October, when voters start to pay closer attention to the election.
Alsobrooks and Hogan have spent their summers campaigning at big and small events to meet voters. And he has been paid communications for months, while she will be increasing hers.
As the campaign intensifies, Democrats have been picking an abortion fight with Hogan, but is it the best strategy? Democrats say Hogan, as governor, vetoed legislation that would have expanded abortion rights. Hogan supporters say he vetoed letting non-licensed operators perform surgical abortions, and he has maintained that he’s a pro-choice candidate that never has and never will support an abortion ban.
So, where’s the fight? Is abortion access threatened in Maryland, where Gov. Wes Moore last year signed expanded abortion protections into law? Not really. But voters here are concerned enough — especially after many red states are restricting or banning abortions — to put it on the ballot in November. If voters care enough to put it on the ballot, Hogan will continue to face questions about his record and his positions on reproductive rights. Where Alsobrooks faces a challenge is that Hogan is well known to Maryland voters, and so far they don’t seem to be buying a message that he’s pro-life or a shill for Donald Trump.
Based on what Sun readers tell us, Alsobrooks would benefit more from focusing on who Maryland voters want to control the Senate majority. There’s a lot at stake there, regardless of who wins the White House. If Trump wins the presidency, Democrats will certainly want the checks and balances of a Democratic-led Senate. If Harris wins, Democrats will want a Senate that can swiftly confirm her appointees and judicial picks. While Hogan has repeatedly said he would not be a rubber stamp for a Republican majority in the Senate, others have claimed an independent streak and ultimately fallen in line with the party. For example, Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine has taken a moderate approach, but she confirmed justices who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Hogan would benefit by focusing more on the economy. It’s a top concern in Maryland and across the country. It also helps him when he distances himself from Trump, and he did that recently. After Trump in an interview claimed there was a peaceful transfer of power when he lost in 2020, Hogan quickly put out a statement to remind readers that he deployed the Maryland National Guard to Washington, D.C., which was not peaceful on Jan. 6, 2021. While Alsobrooks is still introducing herself to voters, Hogan could focus more on the economic issues that impact Marylanders daily lives.
One thing is for sure, though, Maryland is home to a competitive Senate race. This is going to be a tough fight with high stakes, and that will only intensify as we head into September.
