Maryland’s Democratic Senate primary is heading toward a bitter end as voters decide who to nominate in an unexpected race in the Deep Blue Fortress.
Prince George’s County Executive Angela Allsbrooks and U.S. Rep. David Trone are two of the main candidates in the primary, from political finances to electability, Democratic diversity efforts and Senate control. There is a lot of debate surrounding everything. The primary election will be held next Tuesday, May 14th.
Trone, the wealthy founder of Total Wine and More and a three-term congressman, has poured more than $50 million of his own money into the race, garnered support from his legislative colleagues, and is now running for Alsobrooks. hinted that he was not ready for a major tournament. Federal Political League.
Allbrooks, a black woman who oversees Maryland’s largest county on the outskirts of the state’s capital (and one of the country’s wealthiest black-majority counties), considers herself a grassroots advocate who goes beyond the fray. While maintaining his position as a lawmaker, he is solidifying support from local politicians. candidate.
Polls show the candidates are in a close race. According to an average of 538 votes cast in the Maryland Democratic primary as of May 10, Tron’s approval rating is 44.3%, followed by Albrooks at 38.7%.
The winner will likely face popular former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan. His 11th-hour candidacy transformed the race from a safely sleepy affair in the Democratic column to an election in which Democrats will have to sweat in one of the healthiest states in the country. Senate control is at stake.
“The race is very fluid. If we were having this conversation a month ago, I would say David Trone has a clear advantage. But in recent years, the county executive Mr. Alsobrooks is doing well here,” said the longtime Maryland Democratic Party strategist. “I like both candidates, but Tron is just a little bit better,” Len Foxwell said in a post on X after speaking with ABC News for this article.
“I think it’s tough right now,” Foxwell said.
Tron arrives with a war chest that Alsobrooks will be unable to match and that will be difficult for virtually any candidate to imitate, with air routes as part of a 9-to-1 spending advantage over his opponent. filled with advertisements. Tron and the groups supporting him have spent at least $45 million on advertising for the race, rapidly outpacing Alsobrooks and the groups supporting her, who have spent at least $5.6 million on advertising. By Ad Impact, a nonpartisan ad tracking company..
In addition, Tron has the support of some of the biggest names in Congress, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
But in recent weeks, he has been stumbling. A gaffe in which he uttered a racial slur instead of the word “bugaboo” caused a wave of negative headlines and further increased support for Allbrooks. And a recent ad supporting Tron, in which one supporter says the Senate is no place for people who need “training wheels,” is a blow that critics say is a stinging punch. It was a criticism of Alsobrooks.
Tron apologized for the gaffe, saying he didn’t know the word was a racial slur. On Tuesday night, Tron said the “training wheels” comment was sidelined by his supporters and not something he said.
But the Alsobrooks camp pointed to ABC News’ recent interview with WRC-TV in which Tron said, “This job is not for people with training wheels.”
ABC News has reached out to Tron’s camp for comment.
“And frankly, [Alsobrooks] “He has no experience at the federal level,” Tron added, something Albrooks’ supporters criticized as insufficient.
Asked Thursday about Tron’s attack on his experience level at Riverdale Park in Maryland, Alsobrooks told ABC News that the escalation of the race was what triggered his remarks.
“The truth of the matter is we’re on track to win the race and now he’s turned to negative attacks,” Alsobrooks told reporters.
“My opponent spent $62 million trying to buy this race after hearing about my experience, record and my vision for the state,” Allbrooks added.
Mr. Allbrooks will take on one of the wealthiest members of Congress by garnering the support of Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) and members of what Mr. Foxwell calls the “state Democratic machine.” facing difficult challenges.
”[Alsobrooks] the perfect insider [with] “There are deep relationships going on within the clubhouse in Annapolis,” he said. “What we’re seeing is all the advertising from the Democratic political class and the entire Democratic Party leadership in Maryland coming together behind them.” It’s about being there,” he said. [Alsobrooks]. ”
Mr. Albrooks’ candidacy has clear historical significance, especially in a state where more than 30% of the population is black. After Vice President Kamala Harris left the White House, the already tiny number of senatorial positions went from one to zero, with no Black women currently serving in the Senate.
“Black women deserve to be included in every decision-making forum, and it is shameful that in 2024 there are no Black women in the U.S. Senate,” said Dominique Whitehead, NAACP deputy campaign director, in a statement. ” he said. Go to ABC News.
Taken together, the two candidates’ conflicting appeals set the stage for a race that observers said could lead to either Alsobrooks or Tron winning.
Hogan is the towering figure in the race, and although he has not been president or run for Congress in more than 30 years, he has a track record of winning the hearts of Democratic voters, and his victory over the two-term former governor is the centerpiece of the election. It becomes. It’s not just a minimal policy disagreement between Alsobrooks and Tron, it’s a race issue.
“A big part of the process for them is figuring out who has the best chance of winning in November, because the Senate is likely to be up by a few seats anyway,” said Michael. Chief Hammer said. University of Maryland Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement.
At a Tuesday night rally at a movie theater in Silver Spring, Maryland, Trone led the charge with “Down with Hogan!” He said that while he struggled to differentiate himself from Alsobrooks, his track record and experience meant he had what it took to win the general election.
“The United States Senate is at stake in this election. Our democracy could be at stake,” Tron told the audience.
Interviews with voters revealed that they are particularly focused on which party controls the Senate next year and who could pose an even tougher challenge to Mr. Hogan.
“I think it’s really hard to support Republican candidates in general at this point,” said Elizabeth Miller, a voter in Potomac, Maryland, who expressed concern about the “larger composition of the political sphere” and said she is not interested in the primary. He said he voted for Tron in the election. .
In response to a question from ABC News, 18-year-old Mackenzie Kinol, who was voting for the first time, added: “Having a majority in the Senate means a lot to me, so I’m definitely going to vote Democrat.” Tuesday.
Amid infighting within the Democratic Party, Republicans are rushing to add Hogan to the ballot in this November’s general election.
Republican Sen. Steve Daines, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, last week criticized Hogan’s strong polling performance and his stance as a “maverick” who has broken with both former Presidents Donald Trump and Joe Biden. However, he said this would give him a competitive advantage in the November election campaign.
“He has a maverick brand as a popular Republican governor in a blue state. Marylanders trust him. He has a proven track record. And Larry Hogan is just a great candidate. ,” Daines told a Christian gathering.Science Monitor Breakfast in Washington DC
Daines echoed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who told Politico last week that he believes Maryland, along with Ohio, Montana and Pennsylvania, is a good bet for Republicans this term. .
But Senior Election Analyst (538) Nathaniel Rakic poured cold water on the Republican’s prospects for support in Maryland.
“In 2020, only one state voted for different parties for president and the Senate. In 2016, none of them did so. Perhaps swing states will do so again this year, but Maryland The state voted for Biden by a 33 percentage point margin in 2020, and Biden is likely to win.”It is virtually unprecedented for a Senate candidate to outperform his own party’s presidential nominee this much.” Rakic said.
Editor’s note: This article is based on Len Foxwell’s recent post on Updated to include details such as: Year.
