In a recent series of primaries, several significant elections have taken place that may determine which party controls Congress next year. Notably, Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks won the Democrat Senate primary in Maryland on May 14th, and April McClain-Delaney and Neil Parrott secured victories for their respective parties in the state’s Sixth Congressional District.
Angela Alsobrooks triumphed over Rep. David Trone (D-Md.) to face off against former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, who won the Republican primary with ease. The winner of this November’s race will succeed retiring Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), and it has been almost four decades since Maryland had a Republican in the Senate. Throughout her campaign, Alsobrooks received significant endorsements from influential figures such as Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Sen. Chris van Hollen (D-Md.), Senate President Pro Tempore Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Maryland Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller, Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson, Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates Adrienne Jones, and four of the seven Democrat members of the House from Maryland.
Trone had received endorsements from Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown and 66 House members, with Rep. C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger III (D-Md.) being the only member of the Maryland Congressional delegation to back him. Despite significantly outraising and outspending Alsobrooks, Trone’s campaign was ultimately unsuccessful. As a millionaire from his alcohol business ventures, Trone invested more than $54 million of his own money into the race according to the Federal Election Commission (FEC. He also received $817,000 in outside contributions and had over $3.7 million on hand. In contrast, Alsobrooks raised almost $7.8 million and spent almost $5.9 million, leaving her with just over $1.9 million remaining.
Both Trone and Alsobrooks ran on similar platforms that included advocating for both immigration and criminal justice reform, protecting access to abortion, supporting veterans, and defending American democracy. They also expressed their support for eliminating the filibuster, which requires 60 votes to proceed with most legislation in the Senate.
The Sixth Congressional District encompasses five suburban counties, including Montgomery County, which borders the nation’s capital. This district is Maryland’s only swing district, with the nonpartisan Cook Political Report placing it as leaning Democrat by 6 percentage points based on referendum votes that have enshrined abortion as a fundamental right in the constitutions of states such as Ohio.
In the Republican primary for the Sixth Congressional District, Neil Parrott secured a victory over former Maryland state Del. Dan Cox, who lost the 2022 gubernatorial race to Governor Moore. Both candidates ran on similar platforms that emphasized lowering taxes, securing the border, and prioritizing public safety. Interestingly, the issue of abortion did not feature prominently in either candidate’s platform. This is significant given the GOP’s recent struggles with referendum votes on abortion rights across several states.
In a related development, Maryland state Sen. Sarah Elfreth emerged victorious in the Democrat primary for the Third Congressional District, winning over former Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn. This district is considered solidly Democrat and is therefore almost certain to succeed retiring Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.), who has been in Congress since 2007. Elfreth’s campaign was endorsed by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
These recent primary victories are indicative of the shifting political landscape within Maryland and may have significant implications for the balance of power in Congress next year.