Former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan (R) and Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks (D) are seeking to replace U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (D, Md.), who is retiring next year. On Thursday night, we sparred in the only debate of the cycle.
Albrooks has emerged as the favorite to win, with polls clearly showing her in the driver's seat. Allbrooks leads the popular former governor by nearly double digits, according to a tally of Maryland polls compiled by Decision Desk Headquarters and The Hill.
Hogan, a critic of former President Donald Trump, is poised to pull off a major upset after two terms in the Annapolis Governor's Office, sparking an unusual general election battle in deep-blue Maryland. But he faces an uphill battle in the state where President Biden had the third-highest winning percentage in 2020.
Here are five takeaways from the Maryland Senate debate.
Abortion takes center stage
The fight over abortion access played a big role Thursday, with Alsobrooks repeatedly criticizing Hogan on an issue that has emerged as a victory line for Democrats.
The topic was also brought up in Mr. Alsobrooks' opening and closing answers, and was the first question asked by the moderator.
Hogan has repeatedly said he supports codifying Roe v. Wade after it is decided by the Supreme Court in 2022, a position he reiterated during the hour-long exchange.
But Allsbrooks countered that his actions in his final year in office told a different story, pointing to his veto of a bill that would have allowed nurses, midwives and physician assistants to perform abortions. The Democratic-controlled state legislature overrode the veto.
“The fact of the matter is that the former governor had an opportunity to stand up for the women of Maryland and he didn't,” Allbrooks said. “He vetoed the abortion care bill. He went back and forth and refused funding to train abortion care providers. This was just two years ago.”
“I believe him when he says he has had a change of heart,” Allsbrooks added. “The fact is that if Mr. Roe gives Republicans a majority in the Senate, there will be no vote for him.”
Hogan fumed that he vetoed the bill over concerns about non-physicians providing medical care.
“Her entire campaign is based on lies,” Hogan said at one point while responding to an abortion-related question.
Alzarbrooks added that he is a supporter of Vice President Harris and supports abolishing the legislative filibuster to codify abortion rights.
Hogan sells moderation
Mr. Hogan is one of the most prominent moderate Republicans in the country and a Republican opponent of Mr. Trump, and he made that abundantly clear throughout the evening.
He pitched himself as a much-needed voice of reason in the midst of the political world.
“All you'll hear is the conflict between red and blue,” Hogan said in his opening remarks. “I'm more interested in red, white, and blue.”
“The only way we can bring about change is if we can find strong, independent leaders,” Hogan later added.
He has repeatedly criticized Trump, with whom he has had a rocky relationship over the past decade.
Hogan added that he supports preserving the legislative filibuster and named moderate Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska as two senators he would like to work with in the Senate. Nominated as.
Hogan called calls to abolish the filibuster “a terrible idea,” linking Albrooks to Trump over the issue, as the former president was a vocal supporter of abolishing the filibuster. “You have to be careful what you wish for because you never know who's going to disrupt things. I think the idea that we have to continue to look for people on the other side of the aisle and find bipartisan compromises is I like it.”
Mr. Albrooks is trying to link Mr. Hogan to Senate Republicans.
Albrooks has repeatedly asserted that Hogan's victory is all about ensuring Republicans pass their agenda, including a national abortion ban, and she has sought to connect the former governor with top Senate Republicans. Ta.
Albrooks said that if Hogan wins, Republicans will control the Senate, and the Senate Judiciary and Commerce Committees will be headed by Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-Texas) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas). ) and others will be given power. each.
She also supported Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who pushed Hogan to run after he was unable to run in 2022 against Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.). He also pointed to the support Hogan has received from the party's majority leader (R-Ky.). . ). He added that he “happily” wore a Republican jersey during his candidacy earlier this year.
“The fact is, if he wanted to be an independent, he should have run as an independent,” Allbrooks said.
“When he got the call from Mitch McConnell, he put on his jersey,” Allbrooks said late in the debate. “He ran into the game.”
Albrooks seeks to resolve tax credit dispute
The Maryland Democratic candidate also tried to clear the air following reports that he was able to save thousands of dollars on two properties in the DMV area by benefiting from tax credits he was not eligible for.
According to a CNN report in late September, Allsbrooks claimed that he had been exempt from homestead taxes for more than a decade, even though it only applied to his home. The property in question was a rental property.
She also advocated for tax breaks aimed at supporting seniors in their Washington, D.C., homes, which could cut their taxes in half.
Allbrooks said the Washington home was owned by her grandmother and was still eligible for tax credits when she took out the mortgage, adding that she never applied for it.
“When I learned of this, I contacted the D.C. government and am working to repay that tax credit and repay the interest,” Allsbrooks said.
Hogan responded that he didn't think voters should vote based solely on this idea, but that Alsobrooks should explain what exactly happened.
Republicans are using the report in TV ads to drum up Democratic candidates.
Foreign policy plays a role
Although the discussion mainly focused on domestic issues, the two men also touched on a number of foreign policy issues, including the wars in Gaza and Ukraine and the possibility of future conflict between China and Taiwan.
Hogan argued that the United States needs to continue its support for Israel. While Alzarbrooks agreed that Israel has the right to defend itself, he also called for a ceasefire between the Israeli military and Hamas, and humanitarian aid for those affected by the war in Gaza.
The response came after one of the hosts asked whether Mr. Alsobrooks' stance on Israel was similar to Cardin and Van Hollen. The retiring senator presided over the House of Representatives when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed a joint session of Congress in July, but Van Hollen did not attend.
Albrooks said she would have attended the speech.
She also links Hogan with national Republicans against the increasingly isolationist views emerging among some within the party, particularly those who oppose expanded aid to Ukraine and do not support the NATO alliance. The foreign policy department was used for this purpose.
The two sides also currently disagree on whether Ukraine should be admitted as a NATO member, with Hogan supporting the idea, while Albrooks said the idea should be “considered.”
