Tron, the billionaire founder of Total Wine & More, highlighted his Congressional accomplishments, business experience and difficult upbringing during an hour-long live broadcast on Fox45 and WJLA7. Albrooks, who previously served as Prince George’s state’s attorney, talked about her own experiences as a woman, as a mother, her background in criminal justice, and her experience leading the state’s second most populous county. He pointed out his background.
Tron quickly declared victory in a news release after the debate. Mr Albrooks praised her “outstanding performance”. Each claimed momentum for the next stage of the contest.
As May 14 approaches, all eyes are on what was seen as a boring battle for the guaranteed blue seat until Hogan launched his surprise bid two months ago. Voices of support are flowing, yard signs are popping up, and the airwaves are buzzing with campaign messages and funds.
This week alone, the liberal super PAC Fight Corporate Monopoly launched its first negative ad of the cycle, criticizing Tron’s business practices and comparing him to former Republican President Donald Trump. On Wednesday, Mr. Hogan bought nearly $1 million in television ads, funded half by money from national Republicans who want to red-light the vacant Senate seat.
The public’s money is pouring into this contest, which was formed primarily through Mr. Tron’s deep pockets. Campaign finance records show he has loaned his campaign at least $41.7 million since the start of the primary.
Mr. Alsobrooks, who is trailing in the race according to recent polls, has repeatedly focused on Mr. Tron’s fate, questioning his claims that his self-funding can keep him away from special interests, and questioning her and her He reiterated a series of attacks his agents had raised about his “acquisition.” seat.
During the debate, she spoke out against conservative leaders such as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R), who has worked to block access to abortion, and that Mr. Trond, both personally and with his company Total Wine,・Focused on the contributions made through and more.
That fact stands in contrast to the donation record that Tron has touted, she said. He helped establish an abortion clinic near the West Virginia border after Western Maryland effectively halted the procedure.
“He can’t claim credit for the good things his company is doing or distance himself from the bad things his company is doing,” Allbrooks said.
Tron, on the other hand, slammed her accusations, naming Exxon, Pfizer and Cigna, and suggesting that the companies that supported her campaign had personal interests.
“When you receive money…they must be expecting something [of politicians]”Tron said. “They are not charities.”
Albrooks has brought in more individual contributions than any other candidate so far, with just under $3.2 million on hand, according to filings. Still, Albrooks’ performance Friday carried added weight in a race where her resources are lopsided at a time when she is trying to raise her profile.
Polls released over the past six weeks show Tron consistently leading him, with Hogan, who left office last year with a high popularity rating, leading both men.
Hogan has argued that he is an underdog in a state where registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans two to one. A University of Maryland Washington Post poll conducted in March found that Mr. Hogan is better known than Mr. Tron and Mr. Alsobrooks, but faces mixed Democratic expectations. Maryland voters said they preferred Democratic control of the Senate by a 20-point margin.
A poll released this week by FOX45 News, The Baltimore Sun and the University of Baltimore and conducted by OpinionWorks put Hogan in the lead. The results showed Tron leading Alsobrooks 49 percent to 28 percent.
On Friday, as Mr. Tron detailed the bipartisan spirit he said helped him run against Mr. Hogan, Mr. Alsobrooks used the opportunity to question his record of political contributions to the man he hopes to defeat. In 2014, the Post reported that eight of Tron’s companies donated $30,000 to eliminate Hogan’s campaign debt.
“What we don’t need is a Larry Hogan donor trying to run against Larry Hogan in the fall,” Allsbrooks said.
One of Friday’s sharpest attacks was the back and forth over endorsements, noting that Tron has secured the support of prominent politicians representing Alsobrooks County.
On Thursday, he received an endorsement from Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy, a Democrat who also served as Mr. Alsobrooks. Democratic Prince George’s County Council members Crystal Oriada and Edward Burrows III, both of whom have supported Trone and criticized Oldsbrooks in the past, were in the studio Friday, taking a commercial break. At times they would crowd around Mr. Tron.
“The people who really matter most are the ones who know you best,” Trone says. “Prince George’s County supports us. The list goes on and on.”
Mr. Albrooks has picked up Democratic Party leaders from the local to federal levels. Her supporters include Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin and former Prince George’s County Executive Rashaan Baker IV.
Although the two sides did not spar on topics such as the Israel-Hamas war, both agree that Hamas should be defeated and that a ceasefire is needed. And the hostages must be released. He also said cities should have access to federal data not currently available to the public to strengthen law enforcement’s ability to track guns and suppress crime.
Both candidates achieved She has made protecting abortion rights a centerpiece of her campaign, tapping into an issue that has excited voters since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned constitutional abortion rights in 2022.
They sought to paint Hogan, who did not say in an interview whether he would codify abortion protections into federal law, as an enemy of reproductive rights. Hogan said he would not vote for a national abortion ban, but he also said he would not take a position on any hypothetical bill he would codify. Roe vs. Wade.
When asked about abolishing the death penalty, their positions diverged.
Panelists noted that while Allbrooks was Prince George’s state’s attorney, he supported the death penalty for a man convicted of killing four people, including two children. But as the federal government reconsiders the death penalty, Alsobrooks said she, too, is evolving on the issue.
Marylanders have decided that the death penalty is no longer the law in Maryland, and “I agree with the voters of Maryland,” Allsbrooks said. I can also say that I do not support the death penalty at the federal level. …That being said, I believe that anyone who harms a child, and especially murders a child, deserves the harshest punishment available to them. And currently, in Maryland, the penalty is life in prison without parole.
In his rebuttal, Tron emphasized his firm opposition. He said it was “clearly cruel and unusual punishment and clearly racist.”
Early voting for Maryland’s Democratic and Republican primaries begins May 2nd.
