There’s no getting around it. Members of Maryland’s Jewish community and others will miss longtime Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin when he retires from the U.S. Senate in January. Altogether, Cardin served 37 years in Congress.
Cardin’s seat will be filled by either former Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, or his Democratic rival, Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks.
Jmore recently spoke with both candidates separately to learn more about their platforms and opinions on issues affecting local residents, including crime, the economy, reproductive rights, climate change and antisemitism.
What do you consider the major issues of the 2024 campaign?
Alsobrooks: I want to ensure that all Marylanders have what I want for my own family; safe communities, access to a quality education, jobs and economic opportunities. This race is about our future. I am in this fight because I want a future where our freedoms are protected and our families can thrive.
Hogan: I’m running for the Senate to fix the broken politics tearing our country apart and making it hard, if not impossible, to solve problems. This is the kind of senator I will be: a critical independent swing vote that will put Maryland at the center of every critical decision and discussion on the issues people care about most — lowering costs and growing the economy, tackling violent crime and improving public safety, and fixing the broken immigration system.
My time as governor showed what we can achieve when we work across the aisle and put people over politics. That is exactly what I will do in the Senate.
What is your plan to fight crime in Maryland and across the country?
Alsobrooks: When I was the State’s Attorney, I oversaw a 50% cut in violent crime, I’ve continued to keep our communities safe, fund our public safety agencies, and I increased the police department budget by 22% and the overall public safety budget by 26.5% over my tenure as county executive.
I’ll be one of the few voices in the Senate who doesn’t just talk about crime. I have a record of addressing crime head-on. And I’ve dedicated my career to protecting women and children. I was the first full-time prosecutor in the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office dedicated to domestic violence cases.
Hogan: We have to stop allowing politics to get in the way of public safety. There are common-sense solutions the federal government can adopt that have the potential to make a real difference. I have put forward a 10-point crime plan that includes more resources for law enforcement and more support for victims, along with steps to take repeat violent criminals off the streets, dismantle drug trafficking cartels, and get guns out of the hands of violent criminals and the mentally ill. I’m proud to have the support of law enforcement and first-responder organizations across the state.
Your platform regarding reproductive rights? The environment? Workers’ rights?
Alsobrooks: I was two years old when Roe was decided, and 51 years later, I never imagined my own 19-year-old daughter would be fighting for rights that should have been won by her grandmother. And what we know now is it’s not just abortion rights that Republicans are trying to take away. It’s access to contraception. It’s access to IVF, and the privacy to make decisions about our own bodies.
(Photo by Robyn Stevens Brody)
That’s why we have to win this race. We need to preserve our Senate majority to restore abortion rights nationwide, to protect access to IVF and contraception, and to stand up for women across this country whose freedoms are being gutted.
The same is true for our environment, workers’ rights and gun control. I am in this race to protect our freedoms. That means a woman’s freedom to access the reproductive health care she needs. Our children’s freedom to live in a clean environment, drink clean water and breathe fresh air, because we know that time is running out on the climate.
Workers’ freedom to collective bargaining, the ability to earn good wages and benefits they have worked so hard for, and to retire with dignity. And every Marylander deserves the freedom to go to church, the grocery store, school or even a political rally without fear that they will be killed by an assault weapon.
Hogan: I support a woman’s right to choose, and in the Senate I will sponsor legislation to codify Roe v. Wade as the law of the land, as well as legislation to protect and expand access to IVF.
I know this is an issue where people are hearing a lot of false attacks and scare tactics. It’s important for Marylanders to know where I stand. I’ve been clear for decades now that I will never support a national abortion ban of any kind. As governor, I protected access to abortion, and we led the nation in becoming the first state to provide over-the-counter birth control covered by insurance. For me, nothing and no one — especially partisan politicians — should come between a woman and her doctor.
The Environment?
Hogan: This will be one of my highest priorities in the Senate, where I will continue to support action to address climate change and advance Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts. During our administration, Maryland joined the U.S. Climate Alliance and the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, enacting clean air standards stronger than 48 other states and far stronger than the Paris climate agreement. And in addition to providing record funding for Chesapeake Bay restoration, I directed the state’s attorney general to sue the Trump EPA to ensure that polluters in New York and Pennsylvania are doing their part to keep our bay clean, and we won.
I will take the same proactive, bipartisan approach in the Senate.
Your plan to keep Maryland’s economy thriving?
Alsobrooks: As County Executive, I led the charge to bring the new FBI headquarters to Maryland, which will not only transform our economy in Prince George’s County, but benefit the state. In the Senate, I intend to continue my fight to ensure real economic opportunity for all Marylanders and that federal assets are distributed equitably.
Democrats in the Senate made once-in-a-generation investments that are creating new jobs, cutting costs and rebuilding our infrastructure. No Republican voted for the landmark Inflation Reduction Act which capped the costs of insulin for seniors on Medicare and gave Medicare the power to negotiate the high costs of prescription drugs. We must keep our Senate blue to continue to build on this progress and expand the Inflation Reduction Act, so all Americans can benefit from these lower costs.
Hogan: I will take the same pro-taxpayer, pro-growth approach I did as governor, which led to the biggest economic turnaround in America and Maryland being the most improved state for business. My plan calls for advancing tax relief for families and small businesses, including repealing the SALT [state and local tax] tax cap and making the small business deduction permanent; accelerating housing construction; reducing the out-of-control cost of health care; helping Americans afford a quality education; expanding health insurance coverage options for small businesses; and blocking unaffordable federal spending and mandates that make it harder to live, work and start a business. These are all important initiatives I look forward to advancing in the Senate.
Gun control?
Alsobrooks: It is unacceptable and unconscionable that we still live in a society where children can be shot and killed. Guns are the number 1 killer of children in America. Not car accidents, not illness. Guns. It’s why as a senator, I’m going to do what Larry Hogan hasn’t done, which is to work to remove assault weapons and ghost guns. We need people in the Senate who have the courage to pass meaningful gun legislation.
Hogan: We need common-sense policies to keep guns out of the hands of violent criminals and the mentally ill. As governor, I proudly signed a red flag law and banned bump stocks. I support universal background checks and banning assault weapons. I will also continue to fight for tougher sentences and accountability for offenders who commit crimes with a gun.
Your platform on Israel and anti-Israel/antisemitic activities on college campuses?
Alsobrooks: What happened on Oct. 7th was a gutting tragedy. Eleven months have passed and we mustn’t lose sight of that fact. Israel has a right to defend itself and we must eliminate the threat of Hamas. The United States must work to ensure the safe return of the hostages and get to a ceasefire.
I also believe we need to do everything in our power to ensure that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is being addressed, that aid is arriving, and that we are doing everything we can to ensure the flow of aid to innocent civilians. I stand with the Biden-Harris Administration in their efforts to push Hamas to accept the current ceasefire deal so we don’t lose any more innocent lives, and believe that we have a responsibility to help ensure we can move toward a two-state solution where both Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace and security.
I am deeply troubled by the rise of antisemitism, both on our college campuses and across our state. As the mother of a college student, I believe every student deserves to feel safe and secure in their place of learning. We should utilize all tools available to combat antisemitism, and I’ll look forward to working with colleagues from both sides of the aisle in the Senate to determine ways we can encourage campus leadership to do more to protect religious and ethnic minority groups.
Our Jewish friends and neighbors in Maryland — and across our country — should feel safe and always know they are welcome here. We must stand with them and always speak out against antisemitism, and all speech and acts that seek to intimidate any of our diverse communities.
Hogan: There is no room for ambiguity or equivocation when it comes to supporting Israel and standing firmly against antisemitism in all its forms. As governor, I faithfully backed Israel, including issuing an executive order that barred state agencies from contracting with businesses that participated in boycotts against our ally.
In the Senate, I will build on Sen. Cardin’s legacy as a pro-Israel champion, ensuring we never waver in providing critical support to Israel, unlike my opponent, who has supported withdrawing aid to one of our closest allies.
When Harvard’s leadership remained silent in the face of celebrations of Oct. 7 on their campus, I withdrew my fellowships there. I will never hesitate to call out antisemitic hate. But words alone are not enough. In the Senate, I will lead a centrist coalition committed to combating antisemitic hate on college campuses, in our high schools and in communities across the nation.
What is your view on concerns about which party will control the Senate and Maryland’s role in that outcome?
Alsobrooks: We know the Senate majority runs right through Maryland. If elected, I will be that 51st seat in the Senate, which will determine whether Democrats or Republicans hold the Senate Majority.
If we lose our Senate majority, it will mean cuts to Social Security and Medicare, conservative justices appointed across the country, our freedoms being stripped away — from access to abortion and reproductive health care to our access to the ballot box. And so much more.
As that 51st vote, I will abolish the filibuster to codify Roe and pass the Women’s Health Protection Act. I will vote to restore and expand voting rights. I will appoint justices who are fair, that value our democracy and freedoms. We know Larry Hogan won’t do any of that. He will deliver a Republican majority, as Mitch McConnell handpicked him to do.
Hogan: It’s clear that the race in Maryland will not determine which party controls the Senate. What it will determine is whether Maryland sends to the Senate just another party-line vote or an independent swing vote that will stand up to the extremes, bring people together and get things done. That’s what I’ve always done, and it’s what I’ll continue to do in the Senate.
Your thoughts on the presidential race?
Alsobrooks: This presidential race, much like this Senate race, is a choice between two very different visions for the future. Vice President [Kamala] Harris is fighting for a future that strengthens our democracy, protects reproductive freedom, and ensures every person has the opportunity to not just get by but get ahead. Donald Trump is a convicted criminal running to enact his extreme and dangerous Project 2025 agenda that would roll back Americans’ rights and freedoms, hurt the middle class and threaten our democracy.
Hogan: I was the first Republican to speak out against Project 2025 because of the threat it poses to American values — the rule of law, separation of church and state, and respect for civil service professionals. The Trump plan to move 100,000 federal workers out of our region, in particular, would dismantle our local economy and wreak havoc on countless families and communities.
Both candidates should be focused on advancing bipartisan, common-sense policies, not catering to the extremes.
How would you characterize your opponent?
Alsobrooks: I like Larry Hogan, and we worked together very well. But this election is about whether our freedoms will be protected and building a future we want for our children, not rolling back our rights.
The current Republican party is a party of extremism, chaos and division. And while Larry Hogan may be trying to distance himself from Donald Trump, he sure isn’t distancing himself from the person who encouraged him to get into the race — Mitch McConnell.
Larry Hogan is Mitch’s direct path to a Republican Senate. And we see it at work with Mitch’s billionaire friends donating to the race. For the first time in decades, Maryland is deciding who controls the Senate.
Hogan: I have great respect for County Executive Alsobrooks. We got a lot done together when I was governor, including building 10 new schools in Prince George’s County, historic investments in the Blue Line Corridor and the first-ever comprehensive cancer center in Prince George’s County. We just have fundamentally different visions for how to address the big challenges facing our country. She wants to make this campaign about red vs. blue, I want to make it about the red, white and blue, and get us back to decency and finding common ground for the common good.
Party-line politics as usual is just going to lead us back to the usual divisiveness and dysfunction.
What are you hearing from constituents and voters while stumping around the state?
Alsobrooks: No matter where I go in the state, Marylanders are telling me they want the same things. They want the economic opportunity not just to get by, but to build wealth. Safe communities to raise their families. Good schools to receive a quality education. The freedom to make our own decisions.
Hogan: I talk everyday to people who are worried about everything costing so much more, the safety of their communities and the crisis at the border. What really strikes me is how much people are fed up with all the toxic politics in Washington today. It’s not just that we can’t solve problems. It’s that it feels like we can’t even talk about our differences anymore. They’re looking for leaders who can cut through all the partisan noise and actually get things done.
The solutions are right there in front of us, they’re not that complicated. It’s just a matter of having leaders willing to roll up their sleeves and forge common ground, and that’s what I’ll focus on doing everyday.
On a lighter note, where is your favorite getaway in Maryland?
Alsobrooks: My favorite getaway is definitely Cambridge. One of my favorite aspects of this campaign is getting to travel across the state, seeing new places and meeting new people. But I will always love my getaways to Cambridge, spending time on the Choptank River is relaxing and peaceful.
Hogan: I really look forward to getting to Ocean City when I can. It’s been a special place for our family over the years, from the boardwalk to the beaches. I always encourage folks to take the time to get over the Bay Bridge and enjoy all that the shore has to offer. You really can’t go wrong.
—Simone Ellin and Alan Feiler
The Orioles' weak defense plays a major role in the nightly carnage, writes Michael Olesker.
Educators, ethicists and Jewish leaders are debating the question as content mills slop on.
Schools in Montgomery County have recently experienced a wave of antisemitic incidents.
This year’s Community Block Party at the JCC of Greater Baltimore will feature classic cars, giant inflatables, games, a rock-climbing wall and roller skating rink, and strolling entertainers.