A Democratic Senate candidate in Maryland has admitted to taking fraudulent tax credits, giving his Republican opponent political ammunition in one of the few races that could determine whether Republicans can retake the Senate majority.
Angela Alsobrooks' campaign argues that the chief executive of Prince George's County, Maryland's second-largest county, improperly took advantage of property tax abatements and will have to pay back taxes.
The tax credits that Alsobrooks was not eligible for included a credit for low-income seniors and a residential property tax reduction that is limited to homes that are registered as the owner's principal residence.
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Democratic Senate candidate Angela Alsobrooks speaks during a Gun Violence Awareness Day campaign event at the Kentland Community Center on June 7, 2024 in Landover, Maryland. (Andrew Harnick/Getty Images)
Alsobrooks' campaign said she was unaware of the tax error first reported by CNN. The campaign added that the tax error resulted in Alsobrooks paying more in property taxes.
Alsobrooks is in a fierce race against former two-term Maryland Republican governor Larry Hogan to succeed Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin, who is retiring this year after serving nearly two decades in the Senate and nearly 60 years in the state and federal legislature. Hogan is seeking to recapture a long-held Democratic seat in the overwhelmingly Democratic state of Maryland.
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“It is deeply disturbing that Angela Alsobrooks thinks the rules don't apply to her. She advocates for higher taxes while not paying her own taxes and taking advantage of tax credits meant for the poor and elderly. She claims to be ignorant of the tax code that is her job to enforce,” Hogan campaign spokesman Blake Curnen said.
“Hogan has always stood up for taxpayers and will continue to fight for fairness and fiscal responsibility in the Senate,” Kernen added.
Former two-term governor of Maryland Larry Hogan celebrates his victory in the 2024 Republican Senate primary in Annapolis on May 14. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)
Mr. Alsobrooks' campaign noted that Mr. Hogan also received a tax break on his Maryland home while he lived in the governor's mansion in Annapolis in 2016. But the governor is exempt from the residency requirement.
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Democrats control the Senate by a slim 51-49 margin, giving Republicans an advantageous position this year, with Democrats set to defend 23 of the 34 seats at stake.
One of those seats is in heavily Republican West Virginia, a state that Trump won by nearly 40 points in 2020. Republicans are all but certain to retake the seat because moderate Democrat-turned-independent Sen. Joe Manchin (a former governor) is not seeking reelection.
Republicans are also aiming to retake Ohio and Montana, congressional seats that Trump handily won four years ago, and five more Democratic seats up for grabs this year are in key battleground states.
Democrats are trying to protect their fragile Senate majority, and Mr. Hogan's late entry into the race in February created an unexpected headache in a state previously considered a safe zone. Mr. Hogan leaves office in early 2023 with very high approval ratings and favorable ratings.
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