• Source: 2024 United States Senate election in Maryland

The 2024 United States Senate election in Maryland was held on November 5, 2024, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the state of Maryland. Democratic Prince George's County executive Angela Alsobrooks defeated Republican former Governor Larry Hogan in the contest to succeed Democratic incumbent Ben Cardin, who is not seeking a fourth term. Alsobrooks will be the first African American and second woman to represent Maryland in the Senate.
After Cardin announced his retirement, Alsobrooks and Congressman David Trone emerged as the frontrunners in the Democratic primary. Although Trone heavily outspent Alsobrooks and led most public opinion polls, Alsobrooks won her party's nomination with 53% of the vote after taking a polling lead during the primary's final weeks. Hogan, who entered the race hours before the filling deadline, quickly emerged as the Republican frontrunner and won his party's nomination with 64% of the vote against former state delegate Robin Ficker.
Despite Maryland's status as a reliably Democratic state, the election was considered more competitive than usual due to Hogan's popularity, reputation as a moderate Republican, and opposition to Donald Trump. Alsobrooks was still considered the favorite to win, due to Maryland's heavy Democratic lean and the concurrent presidential election.
Hogan was the strongest Republican nominee in the 2024 cycle, running 17 points ahead of Trump and was one of several GOP Senate overperformances. He flipped two counties won by Kamala Harris in the presidential contest—Anne Arundel and Frederick; and became the first Republican to exceed one million votes in a Maryland Senate election. Despite this, Hogan could not overcome Alsobrooks' margins in the Washington–Baltimore metropolitan area, marking the closest Senate race in Maryland since 2006.
Republicans have not won a Senate election in Maryland since 1980.




Background



At the federal and state level, Maryland is a deeply blue state and one of the most reliably Democratic states in the nation, with Joe Biden carrying it by 33 points in the 2020 presidential election. Elections in Maryland are dominated by the Baltimore metropolitan area and the D.C. suburbs. Democrats currently occupy both Senate seats, seven out of eight House seats, supermajorities in both houses of the state legislature, and all statewide offices.
Republicans have not won Maryland's Class 1 seat since 1970. Although the entry of former Maryland governor Larry Hogan is expected to make the race more competitive, the winner of the Democratic primary is favored to win in the general election given that Republicans have not won a Senate seat in the state of Maryland since 1980. The decline of split-ticket voting in U.S. Senate races is expected to favor the Democrats for this race.
Hogan led in most polls through April 2024, but polls in May showed both Trone and Alsobrooks leading against Hogan, and a higher number of undecided voters.
Alsobrooks continued to lead Hogan in general election polling, but with a smaller lead than Democrats usually enjoy in Maryland.




Democratic primary






= Campaign

=

In the early months of 2023, Cardin's low fundraising and cash-on-hand numbers led to speculation that he would retire. Several potential candidates, including Angela Alsobrooks and David Trone, began hiring campaign advisers in anticipation of Cardin's possible retirement, which he announced on May 1, 2023, ending a political career that spanned over 50 years.
The following day, at-large Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando announced that he would run for Senate. He was joined by Trone and Alsobrooks later in the week. Upon Trone's entry into the race, the Democratic primary quickly developed into a contest between money and endorsements, with Alsobrooks receiving major endorsements from the Maryland Democratic establishment and Trone self-financing his campaign with $61 million in personal loans, which he said protects him from political influence and would allow the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee to focus its resources on more competitive races. Trone suggested that he could spend as much as $50 million on the race. Despite Trone's ad blitz, independent polling portrayed him as only the slight favorite in the Democratic primary.

During the Democratic primary, Jawando and Trone sought to present themselves as progressives and political outsiders, pointing to their careers and political records, despite Trone's record in Congress being more aligned with its moderate members. Alsobrooks, meanwhile, emphasized "kitchen-table" issues such as community safety and health care in her campaign while also focusing on her political career. Candidates campaigned heavily in the Baltimore metropolitan area, which was seen as a key battleground in the Democratic primary as Trone and Alsobrooks were expected to dominate in their respective home counties of Montgomery and Prince George's County, which are of similar sizes and were considered likely to cancel each other out in the primary results. This was not the case, as Alsobrooks not only bested Trone in Montgomery County, but also in most of Maryland's other urban counties.
Alsobrooks and Trone, who were viewed by media outlets as the frontrunners, faced controversies that had the potential to damage their campaigns: Alsobrooks' record as a prosecutor was scrutinized by progressive-media outlet The Intercept, while Trone faced criticism for his campaign contributions toward Republican politicians through Total Wine & More and for political gaffes made during the campaign, including his accidental use of a racial slur during a congressional hearing. On the campaign trail, Alsobrooks criticized Trone for these contributions and for spending heavily in the race, while Trone characterized Alsobrooks as a "career politician" with an insufficient record on reproductive rights, criticized her for not including any Latinos in her cabinet, and suggested she would be influenced by the corporations that had donated to her campaign. Alsobrooks and some of her supporters, including Maryland treasurer Dereck E. Davis and Prince George's County councilmember Jolene Ivey, expressed concerns that Trone's comments toward Alsobrooks and her supporters could make coalescing around Trone difficult if he becomes the Democratic nominee; Trone supporters, including state delegate Joseline Peña-Melnyk, dismissed these concerns. Peña-Melnyk said that Democrats should "focus on the issues" going into the election and not "make that mistake again" as happened with Larry Hogan's victory in 2014. In interviews with WTOP-FM before the primary election, both candidates said that they will support the Democratic nominee in the general election.
Jawando dropped out of the race on October 20, 2023, and later endorsed Alsobrooks, leaving a contest between Alsobrooks and Trone in the Democratic primary. Alsobrooks was seen as the early frontrunner of the Democratic primary, but momentum quickly built up behind Trone's campaign as he self-funded his campaign and its nonstop media blitz, which increased his name recognition and approval ratings in polling and overwhelmed the Alsobrooks campaign's resources. The Democratic primary has been compared to the primary in Maryland's 2016 U.S. Senate election, in which Chris Van Hollen defeated Donna Edwards. Upon former governor Larry Hogan's entry into the race, the Democratic primary largely transformed into a contest to determine which candidate had the best chance of defeating him, with candidates shifting from talking about their experience and leadership styles to talking about national issues—such as abortion, the U.S. Supreme Court, and Donald Trump—and criticizing Hogan's legislative record as governor.
Alsobrooks trailed Trone in public opinion polls for most of the Democratic primary, but enjoyed a surge of support in the final weeks of the election as voters finally tuned into the election and while Trone's campaign suffered from various gaffes he had made on the campaign trail. She defeated Trone in the Democratic primary election on May 14, 2024, with her support largely coming from the state's highly-populated and urban counties, especially in her home base of Prince George's County, while majority votes for Trone came from Maryland's rural areas and Frederick County.




= Candidates

=



Nominee

Angela Alsobrooks, Prince George's County Executive (2018–present)



Eliminated in primary

Michael Cobb, congressional aide
Marcellus Crews, tech executive
Brian Frydenborg, freelance journalist and research consultant
Scottie Griffin, former Charlottesville City Public Schools Superintendent and write-in candidate for U.S. Senate in 2022
Robert K. Houton, nonprofit executive
Joseph Perez, IT project manager and Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in 2022
Steve Seuferer, IT professional
David Trone, U.S. representative for Maryland's 6th congressional district (2019–present)
Andrew Jaye Wildman, writer and perennial candidate



Withdrawn

Juan Dominguez, former vice president of Breezeline and former Republican Bogota, New Jersey borough councilor (1995–1998) (ran for U.S. House)
Will Jawando, at-large Montgomery County councilor (2018–present) and candidate for Maryland's 8th congressional district in 2016 (endorsed Alsobrooks)



Declined

Ben Cardin, incumbent U.S. senator (2007–present)
Kweisi Mfume, U.S. representative for Maryland's 7th congressional district (1987–1996; 2020–present), candidate for U.S. Senate in 2006, and former president of the NAACP (1996–2004) (endorsed Alsobrooks, ran for re-election)
Wes Moore, Governor of Maryland (2023–present) (endorsed Alsobrooks)
Johnny Olszewski, Baltimore County Executive (2018–present) and former state delegate from the 6th district (2006–2015) (endorsed Alsobrooks, ran for U.S. House)
Tom Perez, former chair of the Democratic National Committee (2017–2021), former U.S. Secretary of Labor (2013–2017), former Maryland Secretary of Labor (2007–2009), and candidate for Governor of Maryland in 2022
Jamie Raskin, U.S. representative for Maryland's 8th congressional district (2017–present) (ran for re-election, endorsed Alsobrooks)
John Sarbanes, U.S. representative for Maryland's 3rd congressional district (2007–present) and son of former U.S. Senator Paul Sarbanes (endorsed Alsobrooks)




= Endorsements

=




= Debates and forums

=

A straw poll was held during the Maryland Democratic Party's forum on the Eastern Shore, which was won by Alsobrooks, who received 125 votes to Trone's 98 votes and Dominguez's 15 votes.
A televised debate between Alsobrooks and Trone hosted by WBAL-TV and WRC-TV was set to be held on April 23, 2024, but was cancelled after Trone refused to commit to the debate. Both campaigns agreed to attend a different televised debate hosted by WBFF and WJLA-TV a few days later, which was held on April 19. A second televised debate was held by WDCW on April 29, 2024, which was attended by Alsobrooks while Trone declined to attend.




= Fundraising

=




= Polling

=




= Results

=




Republican primary






= Campaign

=

Several Republican candidates entered the race, with the most notable being former Maryland governor Larry Hogan. Retired U.S. Air Force brigadier general John Teichert was long viewed as the frontrunner until Hogan's surprise entry into the race hours before the candidate filing deadline, which prompted Teichert to withdraw from the race on February 16 and endorse Hogan, leaving him with only token opposition remaining in the primary. This comes two years after Hogan declined to run for U.S. Senate against Chris Van Hollen, and it was presumed that a 2024 presidential bid would be more likely for the former governor.
The Republican primary results had the potential to show the rift within the Maryland Republican Party, whose base has grown frustrated with Hogan for opposing former President Donald Trump. Robin Ficker, a perennial candidate and disbarred attorney, positioned himself as a protest candidate against Hogan by aligning himself with Trump, but opinion polls showed Hogan with a substantial lead over Ficker.
Hogan would end up easily defeating Ficker in the Republican primary on May 14, 2024, becoming the Republican nominee for the seat. Hogan's support came largely from the state's highly-populated and urban counties, which tend to vote for Democratic candidates, while Ficker's support came from its rural areas.




= Candidates

=



Nominee

Larry Hogan, former governor of Maryland (2015–2023)



Eliminated in primary

Moe Barakat, business owner and consultant
Chris Chaffee, homebuilding contractor, perennial candidate, and nominee for U.S. Senate in 2022
Robin Ficker, former state delegate (1979–1983) and perennial candidate
Lorie Friend, nurse and candidate for U.S. Senate in 2022
John Myrick, federal executive consultant
Laban Seyoum, business owner



Withdrawn

Ray Bly, business owner and perennial candidate (ran for U.S. House)
John Teichert, retired U.S. Air Force brigadier general (endorsed Hogan)
John Thormann, contractual consultant and candidate for U.S. Senate in 2022 (ran for U.S. House)



Declined

Andy Harris, U.S. representative for Maryland's 1st congressional district (2011–present) (ran for re-election)




= Endorsements

=




= Debates and forums

=




= Fundraising

=




= Polling

=




= Results

=




Third-party and independent candidates






= Candidates

=



Declared

Mike Scott (Libertarian), retired U.S. Air Force veteran



Declared write-ins

Patrick Burke (American Solidarity Party), retired city planner
Billy Bridges (Independent), retired military veteran
Irwin Gibbs (Independent)
Christy Helmondollar (Independent), sales associate
Robin Rowe (Independent), programmer



Failed to qualify

Emmanuel Osuchukwu (Independent), security guard



Withdrawn

Moshe Landman (Green), attorney, mortgage broker, and nominee for SD-39 in 2022 (ran for U.S. House)
Nancy Wallace (Green), tech consultant, nominee for governor of Maryland in 2022, and nominee for Maryland's 8th congressional district in 2016 (ran for U.S. House)



Declined

Cal Ripken Jr., former professional baseball player with the Baltimore Orioles




= Debates and forums

=
Osuchukwu attended the NARFE Maryland Federation forum on October 24, 2023.




General election






= Campaign

=

The issue of abortion was a major issue in the general election, with Maryland voters set to vote on enshrining reproductive rights into the state constitution alongside the Senate election. Anticipating this, Hogan sought to move to the left of his party by supporting federal legislation to restore the Roe v. Wade decision and the Maryland abortion referendum, though declining to support the Women's Health Protection Act. Alsobrooks promised to cosponsor the Women's Health Protection Act and criticized Hogan for his veto of the Abortion Care Access Act in 2022, which expanded the kinds of medical professionals that could perform abortions and provided $3.5 million in state funding to train these professionals.

Alsobrooks scrutinized Hogan's legislative record—including his vetoes on legislation to require background checks on firearm sales, increase the minimum wage, provide paid family and medical leave, and expand abortion care—and sought to associate him with generic Republicans. Democrats also attempted to nationalize the race by reminding voters that a Hogan win could cause Republicans to take control of the U.S. Senate, thereby allowing them to block Kamala Harris's agenda and pass Donald Trump's policies. Maryland Governor Wes Moore also played a role in campaigning against Hogan, with several of his top advisors leaving their positions in the Moore administration to form a political action committee called Unity First PAC to support Alsobrooks and other downballot Democratic nominees. Following Joe Biden's withdrawal from the 2024 presidential election, Alsobrooks sought to tie herself closely with Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, believing that her candidacy will have a coattail effect on downballot elections.
Hogan campaigned on the issues of immigration, crime, and public safety in the general election while also relying on his popularity with Maryland voters to win over support from moderate Democrats and unaffiliated voters. He also sought to bring attention to his achievements while governor, including his efforts to cut taxes and his handling of the 2015 Baltimore protests and the COVID-19 pandemic in Maryland. Hogan criticized Alsobrooks's record on fiscal issues and her handling of crime and policing in Prince George's County, saying that crime has increased during her tenure as county executive and highlighting the county's May 2024 Moody's Ratings outlook downgrade from stable to negative as a result of the statewide Blueprint for Maryland's Future implementation.
Hogan's candidacy had the potential to transform the general election into a test of his popularity, among both Democrats, who outnumber registered Republicans 2-to-1 and were key to Hogan's successes in past elections; and Republicans, who may opt against voting in the general election as a result of Hogan's criticism of Trump. Mileah Kromer, a political scientist and pollster at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, estimated that 25–30% of registered Democrats voted for Hogan in past gubernatorial elections; polling conducted for the Senate election in late September 2024 showed Hogan receiving support from 14 percent of registered Democrats.
In May 2024, Hogan posted on X (formerly Twitter) to say that Americans should "respect the verdict and the legal process," in reference to any decision made in the Donald Trump hush money trial. Later that day, a jury found Trump guilty on all charges. This caused Hogan backlash among some pro-Trump Republicans, most notably including senior Trump campaign advisor Chris LaCivita, who replied to Hogan's post saying that Hogan's campaign has "ended"; as well as Lara Trump, the co-chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC) and daughter-in-law to the former president. Lara Trump said in an interview that "[Hogan] doesn’t deserve the respect of anyone in the Republican Party at this point, and quite frankly, anybody in America." She (and later RNC chairman Michael Whatley) also declined to say whether or not the RNC would withhold monetary support from Hogan's campaign; withholding support from Hogan's campaign would have significant implications for the general election, as the Maryland Republican Party is not as well-resourced as the Maryland Democratic Party. Ultimately, in mid-June 2024, former President Donald Trump endorsed Hogan's senatorial campaign, which may help Hogan among Republicans but may also hurt his performance among Democratic voters. Though Hogan publicly rejected Trump's endorsement, it was reported by CNN in October 2024 that Hogan was privately touting the endorsement to donors, believing it would help unify Republicans around his campaign.
Both candidates received extensive support from super PACs. Political action committees supporting Alsobrooks included Women Vote PAC and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, both of which ran ads criticizing Hogan's record as governor—especially toward the issue of abortion—and emphasizing that a Hogan victory could cause Republicans to take control of the U.S. Senate. Political action committees supporting Hogan, including the National Republican Senatorial Committee and Maryland's Future PAC—which received significant financial support from Republican megadonors Kenneth C. Griffin and Harlan Crow—ran ads criticizing Alsobrooks for improperly benefiting from tax breaks she did not qualify for (which she has since pledged to pay back) and claiming that she would support raising Social Security taxes. Libertarian nominee Mike Scott also received support from the newly-established Save Western Culture super PAC, which campaigned against Hogan for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and recognizing Biden's victory in the 2020 United States presidential election.




= Predictions

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= Post-primary endorsements

=




= Debates and forums

=
There was some initial uncertainty around when a debate will be held between Alsobrooks and Hogan in the general election. On August 20, the Alsobrooks and Hogan campaigns agreed to a single debate—hosted by MPT and local NBC affiliates, and moderated by Chuck Todd—which was held on October 10, 2024.




= Fundraising

=




= Polling

=
Aggregate polls




= Results

=



By county


Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
Anne Arundel (largest municipality: Glen Burnie)
Dorchester (largest municipality: Cambridge)
Frederick (largest municipality: Frederick)
Kent (largest municipality: Chestertown)
Talbot (largest municipality: Easton)
Wicomico (largest municipality: Salisbury)




Notes



Partisan clients




See also


2024 United States presidential election in Maryland
2024 Maryland Democratic presidential primary
2024 Maryland Republican presidential primary
2024 United States House of Representatives elections in Maryland




References






External links


Official campaign websites
Angela Alsobrooks (D) for U.S. Senate
Larry Hogan (R) for U.S. Senate
Mike Scott (L) for U.S. Senate

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