Maryland Senate race: Alsobrooks, Hogan both vow to steer clear of negativity in campaigns

WASHINGTON - The race for Maryland’s U.S. Senate seat is set. One day after winning their party nominations – both former Gov. Larry Hogan and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks say they’ll campaign on the issues and steer clear of negativity.

Tuesday night, current Maryland Democratic Governor Wes Moore told supporters that the primary was a battle but that the general election will be a "war."

That prompted a rebuke today from his predecessor and now GOP Senate nominee Larry Hogan, who took to social media writing "politics shouldn’t be a war" and "that’s why Washington is so broken."

Prince George’s County Executive Anglea Alsobrooks sat down with FOX 5 Wednesday morning. She says she believes this race is going to hinge on women’s healthcare and abortion rights, adding that she wants a campaign that focuses on issues voters care about.

"That’s what this campaign will be about, what kind of visions for Maryland we will support and whether or not we keep the majority in the Senate in the hands of the Democratic Party," Alsobrooks said.

Hogan pointed to ending political gridlock and public safety. He said he wants to offer voters a "stark choice" in November.

"This is not just about the differences between the right and the left, this is about the difference between right and wrong," he said at his election watch party Tuesday night.

It’s likely political action committees are poised to flood Maryland with advertising.

Alsobrooks enters the race with a big advantage as Democrats outnumber Republicans in Maryland three-to-one.

But Mileah Kromer, Director of the Hughes Center for Politics at Goucher College in Maryland, tells FOX 5 that in order to win in 2024, Hogan needs to repeat his previous paths to victory.

"That is really the ‘secret sauce’ of sort of how Hogan was able to win, but putting that together now in a general election where when you are running to be part of the senate versus running as yourself to be an individual executive is definitely challenging," Kromer said.

In an effort to make up that voter gap, the Hogan campaign announced Wednesday that Maryland Democratic State Senator Bobby Zirkin will be heading up a "Democrats for Hogan" team which will recruit Democrats and independents to support the former governor.