The U.S. has entered the general election’s final weeks and multiple polls show Democrat Angela Alsobrooks in the lead.
Multiple sources — The Hill, the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) Institute of Politics, Emerson College and DC News — all show Alsobrooks ahead of Republican Larry Hogan by an average of 8.9 points in their respective polls.
Alsobrooks, who is the Prince George’s County Executive, outlined much of her vision during the Senate Candidates Forum at Morgan State University on Sept. 24.
“This race is so important as Maryland is now in the center of deciding who’s going to be in the majority in the Senate and that’s going to be very important to have the 51st vote,” said Alsobrooks.
NBC Correspondent Antonia Hylton moderated the event and three staff members from the Spokesman questioned Alsobrooks about her platform, topics relevant to the general election and Morgan’s student body. The newspaper staff invited former Governor Larry Hogan, but he declined due to scheduling conflicts.
Less than two weeks remain in Alsobrooks’ race against Hogan and, if elected, Alsobrooks would become the first Black woman to represent Maryland in the Senate.
“It’s important that Democrats remain in control of the Senate because the Republicans have already shown us that they are going to hand over the Senate to the NRA to write our gun laws,” Alsobrooks said.
Gun control was a crucial part of the discussion, as gun violence has continued to grow in the United States and especially in Maryland — which experienced a school shooting in Hartford County on Sept. 8.
A John Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions report published in September 2024 showed firearms as the leading cause of death for children and teens 1 to 17 years old. In 2022 alone, gun violence claimed 2,526 young lives nationwide.
Morgan State University has suffered from gun violence multiple times — the most recent of which were the passing of a fellow Morganite in September and the university’s first mass shooting during homecoming 2023.
“It is unconscionable that we have had leaders who have been unwilling to make common sense changes that would prevent our children from dying of gun violence,” said Alsobrooks. “As a senator, I will work to pass sensible gun legislation to make sure that we are working to ban assault weapons from our communities.”
Alsobrooks also cited her background as a former prosecutor and her involvement in Maryland’s Firearm Safety Act — which the U.S. District Courts partially struck down in August 2024.
Alsobrooks said she is committed to implementing sensible gun control measures, such as red flag laws and assault weapon bans, to prevent further tragedies.
“The number one killer of children in the United States is gun violence; it’s not [a] car accident, it’s not illness,” Alsobrooks said.
The conversation shifted to student loan forgiveness as a panelist raised concerns about student debt. A 2023 College Board report revealed 46.2 million Americans have student loan debt and that 51% of degree recipients in 2021 and 2022 graduated with an average debt of $29,400.
“I think it would be great to offer some sort of loan and debt forgiveness to incentivize having people go into certain professions including medicine and other areas,” said Alsobrooks. “I think it would be great for low income students to make community college either free or more affordable.”
Alsobrooks also said she supported the president’s loan forgiveness initiatives and affirmed support for future actions such as increased funding for Federal Pell Grants.
Reproductive rights has been an ongoing and sometimes contentious subject during this election cycle. According to Hylton, a voter shared their concern and failed to see the difference between Alsobrooks’ and Hogan’s respective stances regarding reproductive rights.
Alsobrooks responded and recalled when the former governor vetoed a bill that would have expanded abortion care in Maryland.
“He withheld funding for abortion care providers in the state of Maryland, it wasn’t until Governor Moore came into office, that funding was released,” Alsobrooks said.
Alsobrooks also recalled Hogan’s praise of Donald Trump’s selection and appointment of three justices to the Supreme Court when he spoke at the Republican-Jewish Coalition on Nov. 18, 2022. These were the same justices who had overturned Roe v. Wade in August the same year.
“He’s the same person who just two years ago, after Roe was overturned, went out and said in a press conference, ‘I think Donald Trump deserves credit for his accomplishments in office, including the incredible Supreme Court justices that he nominates,’” said Alsobrooks.
Alsobrooks declared her support to codify Roe v. Wade into federal law to ensure consistent reproductive rights for women nationwide.
“We do not want our rights to be subject to the political whims of the day,” said Alsobrooks. “Having it enshrined in the constitution here in Maryland is going to be important, but it is also important that women all over the country have access to reproductive freedoms.”
In addition to gun violence, student loan forgiveness and reproductive rights, Alsobrooks also addressed the cost of living and rising inflation.
“My goal is to attract investment to the state of Maryland that will help large technology companies and other companies that want to invest in the state so that we have six-figure jobs for our young people, increasing incomes and the ability to afford not [just] housing but also groceries,” said Alsobrooks.
According to the Department of Housing and Community Development, the household income required to afford a median-priced home in Maryland surged by 56% between October 2021 and October 2023, rising from $85,215 to $132,702.
“I think the best way to make it possible for people to [afford] homes is to increase income,” said Alsobrooks.
Later, a Spokesman panelist also asked Alsobrooks about her stance regarding student’s first amendment rights when protesting — specifically when protesting Israel’s actions toward Palestine, which many students across the nation have protested — some even demanded their institutions divest from Israel.
Alsobrooks said she recognized the necessity of practicing first amendment rights while recognizing some institutions felt it necessary to prevent protests to ensure general student safety.
“First of all, the hostages should be returned to their families and we got to get to a ceasefire,” said Alsobrooks. “The human suffering as a result of this war has been just untenable. The two state solution will allow for peace and security to happen in Israel and to have peace, security and self-determination for the Palestinians and Gaza.”
The last day to vote in the general election is Tuesday, Nov. 5 and results will likely be available within 48 hours of polls closing. Maryland voters have until Oct. 31 to participate in early voting.
“I’m going to be a good senator,” said Alsobrooks. “I’ve worked on behalf of Marylanders for 27 years and I’m not done yet.
