Maryland U.S. Senate candidates Larry Hogan and Angela Alsobrooks debate abortion rights

In a debate Thursday between nominees in Maryland’s U.S. Senate race, Democrat Angela Alsobrooks pointed to former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan’s actions in office as evidence of his failure to stand up for the law to use abortion, as he now claims. Hogan said she misrepresented his position.

Alsobrooks, in the hour-long debate on Maryland Public Television, criticized Hogan for his veto of a 2022 expansion bill Abortion rights by lifting a restriction that only doctors can perform abortions in the state. Lawmakers overrode the veto and the law allows nurses, midwives and physician assistants to provide care.

“The fact is that the former governor had no opportunity to advocate for the women of Maryland,” Alsobrooks said. “He vetoed legislation on abortion care. He doubly opposed it, refusing to release funding for training abortion workers. That was just two years ago.”

Hogan responded that he supports abortion rights and said Alsobrooks’ criticism does not reflect his position. He said he would co-sponsor codification legislation Roe v. Wadewhich was dismissed by the Supreme Court in 2022. The former governor said he vetoed the measure because he feared it would allow health care providers who are not doctors to perform abortions.

“It has allowed non-medical professionals, and when you lie about something as important as this issue, that’s really insulting,” Hogan said, later adding that he feared the Maryland law would “turn back the clock on protecting women.” .

But Alsobrooks said codifying Roe would never get a vote if Hogan wins the Senate race.

“The fact is that if he gives an answer, there will be no vote on Roe majority to Senate Republicans,” she said.

The former governor also said he would be an independent voice who would push back against partisanship in the Senate and do what he believes is best for the nation.

“You won’t hear anything other than red vs. blue,” Hogan said. “I care more – much more – about red, white and blue.”

But Alsobrooks countered that while Hogan said he would be an independent, when the GOP leadership recruited him to run for an office he had previously said he wasn’t interested in, he was “happy to put on their jersey.” “.

“When Mitch McConnell called him, he put the jersey on,” Alsobrooks said, referring to the Kentucky senator and longtime Senate leader. “He ran into the game.”

The race is drawing national attention because it is unusually competitive in a deep blue state this year and its outcome could determine whether Democrats or Republicans control the Senate.

Democrats currently hold a 51-49 edge in the Senate, including independent senators who caucus with Democrats. And Democrats must defend 23 of the 33 Senate seats up for vote nationwide in November.

The candidates also disagreed on the question of whether more justices should be added to the Supreme Court.

Alsobrooks said she supports reforms to the court, such as adding more members or introducing term limits. But Hogan said if there’s one thing the nation shouldn’t politicize, it’s the Supreme Court.

If elected, Alsobrooks would be Maryland’s first black U.S. senator. She is currently the district manager of Prince George’s County, Maryland’s second largest judicial district in the suburbs of the state capital.

While a Republican hasn’t won a Senate race in Maryland in more than 40 years, Hogan enjoys a high profile. In the last two U.S. Senate elections in Maryland, the Democratic candidate won by more than 30 percentage points against unknown candidates. But Hogan, who once thought about running for president and has done so many times appeared on national newscasts, is the most impressive Republican candidate in years.

In a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans by 2-1, the popular two-term former governor attracted enough Democratic voters to win two statewide elections in 2014 and 2018.

Still, Hogan is having a hard time threading the needle. This election marked the first time that Hogan ran on the same ballot as Trump, who is deeply unpopular in Maryland. And Hogan was one of the GOP’s harshest Trump critics, helping him win the support of some Democrats but also risking alienating some Republican voters.

Alsobrooks also said she paid back a tax credit after CNN reported she had improperly claimed property tax credits on two homes, which her campaign said she was unaware of. She said she still owes interest on the loan on a home in Washington, D.C., that belonged to her grandmother.

“When I found out about this, I contacted the D.C. government and I have repaid the amount of that tax credit and am working on paying off the interest,” Alsobrooks said.

Alsobrooks has already paid back tax credits on a home she rented out in Prince George’s County.

During the debate, Hogan was asked about his decision not to vote for Trump in past elections. He has said he will not vote for Trump in this election either.

“I think there are a lot of people in America who don’t believe that these two people who are at the top of both places are the best people to lead America,” Hogan said.

He once wrote to Ronald Reagan instead of voting for Trump – a point that Alsobrooks said should be “a deal breaker” for someone running for the U.S. Senate who claims to be interested in bipartisan cooperation.

“Instead of standing up, doing the right thing, taking a hard vote and voting for a Democrat, he voted for a deceased person,” Alsobrooks said, adding, “I think it’s telling of the way he would act as a senator.” would not be able to make difficult decisions.