Angela Alsobrooks is the best candidate to take on Larry Hogan for U.S. Senate seat | GUEST COMMENTARY
The last-minute entry of former governor Larry Hogan into the race to succeed retiring Democratic senator Ben Cardin has thrown in doubt what appeared to be an easy victory for whichever Democrat is nominated in the May 14 primary election. It is possible to admire Hogan’s personal courage in fighting cancer and his political courage in standing up to Donald Trump while recognizing that his election could well have the disastrous effect of tilting the balance in the Senate to a Republican majority. It would put at risk every issue of importance to Democrats and many independents and moderate Republicans: reproductive rights, affordable health care, measures to reduce climate change and gun violence, fair-minded federal judges, and protections for voting rights and our democracy.
The Democratic nominee will have more than five months to make that argument and contrast their positions to overtake the much better-known Hogan. In the next several weeks, Maryland Democrats will decide whether that nominee will be Congressman David Trone or Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks.
Trone built a hugely successful alcohol retail business before being elected to three terms in the House of Representatives. Moving up to the Senate from the House is a time-honored path; certainly, congressional experience is relevant preparation for being a senator. But it is only one preparation, and its value should be carefully assessed. A junior member of the House gets exposed to a full range of issues, but Trone’s principal role was to be a foot soldier and reliable vote in the Democrat caucus led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi and now Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. We have lived through several decades during which both Houses of Congress have failed the American people, with the Senate being the institution that has failed the longest and the worst. Given that history, one should be skeptical about the chances of improving the Senate by elevating a member of the House (unless the member has been a standout, such as Adam Schiff.)
In contrast, Angela Alsobrooks has spent the past 12 years on the front lines in two of the most challenging government positions imaginable: eight years as state’s attorney for Prince George’s County and four years as its county executive. As a prosecutor, Alsobrooks dealt with some of the toughest issues facing her county and our country: crime, drugs, gun violence, sentencing, the prison system and mental health. As county executive, she had responsibility and provided leadership on every issue affecting the nearly million residents of Prince George’s: from balancing the budget while building new schools and creating job opportunities and affordable housing to leading the county through the terrible challenges presented by the once-in-a-century pandemic. She would bring to the Senate a lived experience that is quite remarkable and an experience that few, if any, senators have.
We also have a Senate where the average member is 65; Alsobrooks, at 52, with an extraordinary record of accomplishment, is the type of new-generation leader that the aging Senate needs. She has received numerous endorsements from Maryland’s politicians at every level, including Governor Wes Moore, Lt. Governor Aruna Miller, Sen. Chris Van Hollen, and Congressmen Steny Hoyer and Jamie Raskin — politicians who ordinarily avoid taking sides in primary contests but were moved to action by Alsobrooks’ distinctive record.
I’ve spent much of my career working in, and writing about, the Senate (as well as running, un-victoriously, for the House). I admit to giving the Senate more thought than any reasonable person should. From that perspective, I feel confident in saying that we begin to rebuild the Senate and restore its credibility and effectiveness by bringing in new talent. Angela Alsobrooks is a remarkable candidate because she is already a proven leader.
Ira Shapiro (ira@shapiroglobal.com) is a former Senate staffer and Clinton administration trade ambassador. He is the author of three books about the Senate, the most recent of which is “The Betrayal: How Mitch McConnell and the Senate Republicans Abandoned America” (2022). An updated edition of “The Betrayal” will be released on May 14, the same day as Maryland’s primary election.