Angela Alsobrooks and Larry Hogan clash over abortion and party ties in the Maryland Senate debate

OWINGS MILLS, Md. – In their first and only debate in an unusually competitive Maryland Senate race Thursday, Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks and former Gov. Larry Hogan discussed the issue of abortion and whether the deep blue The best way to represent the state would be a staunch Democrat or an anti-Donald Trump Republican.

Hogan distanced himself from the former president and current Republican presidential candidate, portraying himself as someone willing to put “country over party.” He emphasized his support for codifying federal abortion protections and argued that Maryland could address growing partisanship by electing “strong, independent leaders.”

Alsobrooks rejected that accusation, arguing that a vote for Hogan would mean a vote for a Republican majority in the Senate that would threaten abortion rights and support for Ukraine. And when asked how she differs from those within her party, she instead stated, “I support the Democratic agenda.”

The fight for abortion rights took center stage, echoing the rhetoric prevalent in campaign ads across the state. Throughout the debate, which was moderated by NBC News chief political analyst Chuck Todd and three panelists – Deborah Weiner, anchor of Baltimore’s NBC affiliate WBAL; NBC Washington investigative reporter Tracee Wilkins; and Jeff Salkin, host of Maryland Public Television – Hogan vowed that supporting a bill to codify abortion protections would be his “first” priority in the Senate, calling the barrage of attacks against him on the issue “insulting.”

“You won’t hear anything other than red versus blue. Red, white and blue are much more important to me,” Hogan said. “When I ran for governor, I promised to support women’s access to abortion, and I have kept that promise for eight years.”

But Alsobrooks said Marylanders need to look no further than the “R” that appears next to Hogan’s name on the ballot.

“The problem he’s going to have is that his party doesn’t agree with him,” she said. “The Republican Party has declared war on women’s reproductive freedoms, contraception and artificial insemination. The fact is that there will be no vote on Roe if it gives Republicans a majority.”

Hogan, a popular two-term former governor, leaned on his past with the state’s voters in the race. He is well ahead of the typical Republican in the state and is seeking to be the first Republican to represent Maryland in the Senate since the 1980s.

But Alsobrooks – supported by prominent Democrats in Maryland, like Gov. Wes Moore, and nationally, like former President Barack Obama – continues to lead in public polls in a race that Democrats must win to have any chance of winning next year have to hold the Senate. She is also running to become Maryland’s first black senator.

National Democrats and Republicans have poured millions into the race in a place where there are typically no statewide contests — Joe Biden carried Maryland by 33 percentage points in the 2020 presidential election.

Alsobrooks and her Democratic allies spent $13 million on campaign advertising in September alone, according to tracking firm AdImpact. During the same period, Hogan’s campaign and the GOP spent $8 million on advertising.

In the first ten days of this month alone, Democrats have already spent $5.5 million on advertising, while Republicans have spent over $8 million.

The two candidates largely agreed that the Supreme Court was overly politicized. But Hogan, who openly criticized the timing of Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation process in 2020, dodged the question of whether he would have voted to confirm Barrett or Judge Brett Kavanaugh, another Trump appointee who had just one Voice was confirmed.

“I wasn’t there and I don’t know how I would have voted,” he said.

Alsobrooks, meanwhile, said she supports changes to the Supreme Court. “I am very concerned about this Supreme Court. I think they no longer represent the will of the people,” she said, adding that she supports “either” term limits for judges or expanding the court.

Hogan criticized Alsobrooks and “both sides” for “trying to change the rules so they can fill the seat.”

“If you can’t find someone to vote for a Democratic judge or a Republican judge, I’m not going to support them,” Hogan said.

But Alsobrooks pointed to a speech Hogan gave at a meeting of the Republican Jewish Coalition in 2022, where he praised Trump for nominating “incredible justices to the Supreme Court.”

In the speech in question, Hogan called for a “course correction” within his own party away from Trump and expressed clear criticism of his party’s standard bearer. But he also said that “we should give President Trump all the credit he deserves for his accomplishments in office,” including tax cuts, his support for Israel and remarks about his Supreme Court justices.

Hogan addressed Alsobrooks’ criticism on Thursday, saying the praise came in light of the court’s decision this year to lift restrictions on public funding of private religious schools, including Jewish schools.

“I thought it was an incredible decision, but I called her out on all the bad decisions,” he also said.

The winner will replace outgoing Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin, a former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and will serve alongside Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen, who also serves on that committee.

This dynamic was one of the reasons why foreign policy played a big role on Thursday. Regarding Israel, Alsobrooks was asked whether she would try to emulate Cardin’s approach (Cardin led Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s summer speech to Congress) or Van Hollen’s (he boycotted the speech and criticized Netanyahu’s “ultra-right extremist coalition”). She refused.

“I am neither one nor the other. I’m Angela Alsobrooks,” she said, noting the support of both Democrats.

“We are aware that a terrible attack took place in Israel on October 7th, and I believe that at this moment we have a duty to ensure that we return these hostages to their families and then we will finish.” fire to ensure that we also bring aid to the suffering Palestinians in Gaza,” she said.

Alsobrooks continued to emphasize the need for “peace and security in Israel.” [and] Peace, security and self-determination for the Palestinians in Gaza.”

Hogan responded by praising Cardin and saying he would be “more of a pro-Israel advocate like Ben Cardin” and criticized Alsobrooks’ response for “attempting to present ambiguous views or represent both sides.”

“In moments like these, people must stand up and be counted, and we as a country must stand with our allies, and Israel is our most important ally,” Hogan said.

“And I don’t think you can compromise on this issue,” he added.

The candidates agreed that the U.S. should continue to support Ukraine as it continues to resist Russia’s invasion.

Pressed on whether they would go so far as to support Ukraine’s aspirations to join NATO, Hogan said he would.

Alsobrooks refused to commit, instead saying: “It’s a complicated question whether we should do this or not. I think this should be investigated.”

Alsobrooks also addressed revelations that she claimed tax breaks on a property in Washington that she was not entitled to, an issue that has become part of Republican attacks against her. The Democrat said it was an oversight that happened after she took over her grandmother’s mortgage and didn’t know the senior loan was still in use.

“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,” she said.

When asked about the issue, Hogan replied: “I don’t know that people should make a decision based on that. I just think she should have a chance to explain herself.”