Maryland voters will go to the polls next month to select the nominees for various offices in a primary election. Early voting takes place May 2-9 with Election Day voting occurring May 14.
One of the offices where nominees will be chosen is United States senator, a position that carries a six-year term. The winner in the Nov. 5 election will succeed Ben Cardin, a Democrat, who is retiring after serving three terms.
Prince George County Executive Angela Alsobrooks is running for the Democratic nomination to replace Cardin. Her principal challenger in the Senate race is Rep. David Trone (D-6th). Alsobrooks, 53, is serving in her second term as executive after eight years as State’s Attorney in Prince George’s County.
Here is a partial transcript of a recent interview with Alsobrooks. It has been edited for length.
Q: Why are you running for Senate? And what’s your motive behind it?
A: So I can tell you that I think that we need as we look out in the world, and with all that people are going through there’s so much anxiety and distrust and unease right now. And I think in this moment, what we need are people who get people who live like the people they represent, who understand the cares and concerns of everyday people and people who can get things done for Marylanders, and for people across our country. And this is what I have represented the last 27 years. I have been convinced that all of us really do want the same things for our families. It’s the first chance and best chance to be successful, to have health care when you’re sick, affordable places to live, to have the best education possible for your kids, to live in safe places. These are the things that all families want. And I know that based on my experience, I’ve been delivering that both as prosecutor and county executive. But I think in the Senate, we need to also have people who can not only deliver results, but literally get to understand the people they represent and can bring their lived experiences to the Senate.
Q: What ties do you have to the black people in Baltimore? How connected are you with them?
A: I mean, I’ve been around Baltimore for years. First of all, I went to law school in Baltimore. I then served as a law clerk on the Baltimore City Circuit Court. I have been here. I have an office, a field office set up in Baltimore. I’ve enjoyed worshipping on Sundays in faith communities all across Baltimore. I’ve visited a number of places in and around Baltimore, I have friends who have hosted events for me here. So I have absolutely been in Baltimore.
Q: It seems you and David Trone have similar policies. So, what policies do you have in place that makes you different from him? Why should the people of Maryland vote for you?
A: What I think it’s important to have people in office again, who, who have to share the experiences of the people they represent. I think that’s very important. And in my case, while that has certainly been the case, it’s also been that I’ve had an experience that’s different than his. I’ve worked as an executive, which means that I have been close to people, I understand not only how to create policies, but I understand the practical impact of those policies. I know how important it is to have childcare for women and families who are working. I understand how hard it is to afford the everyday cost of living when you have high healthcare costs and what it means to go to the grocery store and even to see the cost of groceries going up. But this I know, both as a lived experience, but I also know how to bring solutions to those problems, because I’ve had to do it as an executive. And I think the people who are closest to the pain are also closest to the solutions. And that’s where I have spent and that makes my experience very different than his so that I bring that qualification to the U.S. Senate. And it’s just one difference between us.
Q: How do you think you will capture the younger generation? So how do you think you’re going to reach that audience?
A: I think you reach them when you listen, I think that the best leaders are the ones who listen, and then take the cares and concerns forward to solve the problems. You know, I’ve talked to a good number of youth, including my 18 year old daughter, who shares with me the concerns of our youth. So for example, I talked to a young student recently who said that he didn’t want the Democratic Party to talk to him about lowering inflation and, and low unemployment rates and how great the economy is when he doesn’t know whether upon graduation, he’s going to be able to afford rent, that there’s a concern about being able to be able to afford a car with the high interest rates. And, you know, so many other economic concerns. So I think you have to talk to young people in the places where they have concerns, talk about the president’s plan to continue to forgive a portion of college indebtedness.
I think that’s important to the future of our kids, I think, to young people, I think it’s important to talk about economic opportunities, attracting high paying jobs to Maryland so that all of our youth will have an opportunity to earn their way into the middle class. So I’ll talk about issues that are of concern to our youth in in that way, I hope to be able to earn their support to talk about choice that all women, young women included deserve the right to have the freedom in the privacy to make their own health care decisions that no person ought to try to control the bodies of women. This is something that’s going to be a huge fight in this upcoming Senate race and going forward is the rights that women have come to enjoy everything from contraception to IVF (in-vitro fertilization). These are huge issues that will be impacting especially younger women who will for the very first time see themselves in a space where they have fewer freedoms and their mothers and grandmothers. But you need people in there who understand that and will fight like heck for them, and I will fight for all of our youth.
