Maryland Senate Primary — Key to Control of U.S. Senate?

Jane Jewell • April 16, 2024

The Maryland State Primary Election is set for May 14, and one of its biggest tasks is deciding who will be the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senator from Maryland in the November general election.

The current senator, Ben Cardin (D), is retiring after three terms, following 20 years in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Now Cardin will be replaced, and that new person’s party — Republican or Democratic — will help decide control of the Senate for the next two years.

Maryland has not elected a Republican to the Senate since 1980. However, this year, whoever wins the Democratic primary will probably run in November against Larry Hogan, the former Republican governor from 2015 through 2023. Hogan was popular with a large number of Marylanders from both parties. His unexpected last-minute entry into the senatorial race in February heightened the stakes in the Democratic primary.

The big question for Democrats now appears to be “Who has the best chance to beat Hogan in November?”

Although there will be 10 candidates on the Democratic primary ticket, the two front-runners are Angela Alsobrooks and David Trone. Both are liberal Democrats with similar views, thus making it trickier for voters to choose between them.

Both support environmental issues, reproductive rights, Medicare and Social Security, along with expanded health care and services for various groups.

Their resumes reflect some differences, both working in government but in different areas. Alsobrook’s expertise is in management and administration, while Trone’s government experience is in legislation.

Angela Alsobrooks

Angela Alsobrooks is the chief executive of Prince George's County, the first woman to hold that office and the first Black woman to hold a county executive office in Maryland. Her experience is in implementing and directing policy, figuring out what works and what doesn’t, and finding and managing personnel. She has focused on jobs, education, and expanding health care access, including mental health and addiction treatment.

She is a former state's attorney for Prince George's County, as well as that county's first full-time domestic violence prosecutor.

According to her website, “Angela has been endorsed by Gov. Wes Moore, Sen. Chris Van Hollen and over 150 elected officials, labor unions, and organizations across Maryland.”

Union endorsements include Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Locals 70 & 1900, and the Teamsters Local 639 and Joint Council 55.

Alsobrooks has stated that on her first day in office, she will co-sponsor the Women's Health Protection Act, legislation that will help establish federal legal protection for the right to provide and access abortion care across all states. Additionally, she will oppose any judicial nominee who does not support abortion rights.

David Trone

David Trone has extensive experience as an entrepreneur and businessman, plus several years of legislative experience in the U.S. Congress. He is a co-founder of Total Wine and More, a highly successful national liquor store chain.

Last year, Trone won re-election to a third term as the representative from Maryland’s 6th Congressional District.

In the U.S. House, Trone worked on multiple issues including medical research, mental health, opioid addiction, and criminal justice reform.

On Trone’s website he proudly states that “he’s never taken a nickel from PACs, lobbyists, or corporations” and thus is not beholden to any special interests.

Trone is an original co-sponsor of the Women’s Health Protection Act, which aims to codify Roe v. Wade’s protections and establish a nationwide right to abortion. He also supports the Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance (EACH) Act.

Trone belongs to the Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus and his voting record in Congress has received a 100% approval rating from both Planned Parenthood and Reproductive Freedom for All. He has also shown his support for reproductive rights by endorsing and speaking at the opening of an abortion clinic that moved to his district to serve Western Maryland and surrounding states.

Trone pulls no punches. Regarding Hogan’s entry into the Senate race, as reported on his website, Trone stated that Hogan’s candidacy is a “desperate attempt to return Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump to power and give them the deciding vote to ban abortion nationwide, suppress votes across the country, and give massive tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans. Marylanders are tired of empty promises from career politicians like Larry Hogan. During his time as governor, Larry Hogan neglected and failed the city of Baltimore, pushed for policies that kicked 200,000 Marylanders off the voter rolls, and cut backroom deals to benefit developers like himself at the expense of Maryland taxpayers….”

See the candidates’ websites for more information on their views on other issues such as education, immigration, environment, and more.

Campaign Finances

Trone has outspent Alsobrooks by roughly ten to one. Trone’s campaign has run television ads across Maryland since last fall and reported spending $23.1 million through the end of 2023. In the same period, Alsobrooks spent about $2.4 million. Trone’s campaign is primarily self-financed from his fortune as a businessman.

Alsobrooks is funded mostly by grassroots campaign donations and a few donations from Political Action Committees. She decided not to run television ads until just a few months before the primary. Her staff and staff payroll are considerably smaller than Trone’s.

How much this financial difference will translate into votes is unclear. While larger war chests and more media buys have been shown to influence potential voters, political experts note that a better-funded campaign does not always guarantee electoral success. History has shown that results vary, although having more financial resources does tend to give a campaign an edge.

Campaign finance data for the first quarter of 2024 was due on April 15.

Polls

According to two polls, Trone has an early advantage for the primary election.

A poll by Goucher College in partnership with the Baltimore Banner was conducted in late March. Of Democrats who are likely to vote in the primary, 42% favored Trone. Alsobrooks was favored by 33%. Nearly a quarter of voters are undecided between the two candidates. The margin of error was 4.9%.

Another poll — this one by the Washington Post and the University of Maryland from early March — showed Trone leading Alsobrooks 34% to 27% among registered Democrats. However, almost four in 10 Democratic voters stated that they were still undecided. The margin of error was 4.5%.

Both polls indicate that neither Democratic candidate has a clear advantage over Hogan in the general election. Both matchups — Trone vs. Hogan and Alsobrooks vs. Hogan — are, at the moment, statistically tied.

The Current U.S. Senate

Every state has two senators who each represent the entire state. Each senator serves for six years, and the terms overlap so that, except under unusual circumstances, there is only one senate election in a state at a time. Maryland’s other senator is Chris Van Hollen (D), whose term ends in January 2029.

The primary results in Maryland as well as in several other states may have a significant impact on which party controls the Senate, which currently has 51 Democrats and 49 Republicans. Those 51 Democrats include three Senators who are Independents but caucus and vote with the Democrats, thus giving the Democratic Party control of the Senate and the right to name the Senate Majority Leader. Any tie votes in the Senate are broken by the vice president of the United States, who, according to the U.S. Constitution, officially holds the office of Senate president, and may only vote when there is a tie.

In the upcoming general election in November, 34 senatorial seats will be up for election. Of those 34 seats, 23 are currently held by Democrats. Many of these Senate seats have incumbents who are running for re-election; in most cases these incumbents are expected to retain their seats. However, nationally there are several open Senate seats due to retirements, deaths, or other reasons. These include Dianne Feinstein’s (D) seat in California, Debbie Stabenow’s (D) in Michigan, and Mike Brown’s (R) in Indiana.

When West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin (D) announced that he would not run for re-election, most commentators allowed that that decision would almost certainly hand the seat to the Republicans. This would bring the Republican party one seat closer to regaining Senate control unless the Democrats pick up one or more seats in other states to compensate. Most of the Senate seats with no incumbent, including Maryland’s and Michigan’s, are considered tight races, any of which alone or in combination could determine which party ends up in control of the Senate starting in January 2025.

Be sure to vote!

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Maryland Primary Election Basic Information

The Maryland Board of Elections has information here along with links to find your polling place, request an absentee/mail-in ballot, track your ballot, and sign up to be an election judge.

Here’s the schedule for the Maryland primary election:

In-person voting:

April 23 — Last day to register to vote in the primary election
May 2 — Early voting begins, 7 am-8 pm
May 9 — Early voting ends, 7 am-8 pm
May 14 — Primary election day, 7 am-8 pm

Absentee/Mail-in voting:

Any registered voter may request an absentee/mail-in ballot.

Voter registration deadline — for new voters or to add/change party affiliation:

In-person: May 14
By mail: Received by April 23
Online: April 23

Absentee/mail-in ballot request deadline:

In-person: May 14
By mail: Received by May 7
Online: May 7

Absentee/mail-in ballot return deadline:

In-person: May 14
By mail: Received by May 14

More Information:

“United States Senate Election in Maryland, 2024,” Ballotpedia: The Encyclopedia of American Politics

https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_Senate_election_in_Maryland,_2024

Jane Jewell is a writer, editor, photographer, and teacher. She has worked in news, publishing, and as the director of a national writer's group. She lives in Chestertown with her husband Peter Heck, a ginger cat named Riley, and a lot of books.

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Common Sense for the Eastern Shore

Megan Outten Launches Campaign for Wicomico County Council, District 7

By Friends of Megan Outten • July 29, 2025

Megan Outten, a lifelong Wicomico County resident and former Salisbury City Councilwoman, officially announced her candidacy recently for Wicomico County Council, District 7. At 33, Outten brings the energy of a new generation combined with a proven record of public service and results-driven leadership. “I’m running because Wicomico deserves better,” Outten said. “Too often, our communities are expected to do more with less. We’re facing underfunded schools, limited economic opportunities, and years of neglected infrastructure. I believe Wicomico deserves leadership that listens, plans ahead, and delivers real, measurable results.” A Record of Action and A Vision for the Future On Salisbury’s City Council, Outten earned a reputation for her proactive, hands-on approach — working directly with residents to close infrastructure gaps, support first responders, and ensure everyday voices were heard. Now she’s bringing that same focus to the County Council, with priorities centered on affordability, public safety, and stronger, more resilient communities. Key Priorities for District 7: Fully fund public schools so every child has the opportunity to succeed. Fix aging infrastructure and county services through proactive investment. Keep Wicomico affordable with smarter planning and pathways to homeownership. Support first responders and safer neighborhoods through better tools, training, and prevention. Expand resources for seniors, youth, and underserved communities. Outten’s platform is rooted in real data and shaped by direct community engagement. With Wicomico now the fastest-growing school system on Maryland’s Eastern Shore — and 85% of students relying on extra resources — she points to the county’s lagging investment as a key area for action. “Strong schools lead to strong jobs, thriving industries, and healthier communities,” Outten said. “Our schools and infrastructure are at a tipping point. We need leadership that stops reacting after things break — and starts investing before they do.” A Commitment to Home and Service Born and raised in Wicomico, Megan Outten sees this campaign as a continuation of her lifelong service to her community. Her vision reflects what she’s hearing from neighbors across the county: a demand for fairness, opportunity, and accountability in local government. “Wicomico is my home; it’s where I grew up, built my life, and where I want to raise my family,” Outten said. “Our county is full of potential. We just need leaders who will listen, work hard, and get things done. That’s what I’ve always done, and that’s exactly what I’ll continue to do on the County Council.” Outten will be meeting with residents across District 7 in the months ahead and unveiling more details of her platform. For more information or to get involved, contact info@meganoutten.com

“Turtles All The Way Down”

By John Christie • July 29, 2025

Way back in 1935, the Supreme Court determined that independent agencies like the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) do not violate the Constitution’s separation of powers. Humphrey’s Executor v. United States (1935). Congress provided that the CPSC, like the NLRB and MSPB, would operate as an independent agency — a multi-member, bipartisan commission whose members serve staggered terms and could be removed only “for neglect of duty or malfeasance in office but for no other cause.” Rejecting a claim that the removal restriction interferes with the “executive power,” the Humphrey’s Court held that Congress has the authority to “forbid their [members’] removal except for cause” when creating such “quasi-legislative or quasi-judicial” bodies. As a result, these agencies have operated as independent agencies for many decades under many different presidencies. Shortly after assuming office in his second term, Donald Trump began to fire, without cause, the Democratic members of several of these agencies. The lower courts determined to reinstate the discharged members pending the ultimate outcome of the litigation, relying on Humphrey’s , resulting in yet another emergency appeal to the Supreme Court by the administration. In the first such case, a majority of the Court allowed President Trump to discharge the Democratic members of the NLRB and the MSPB while the litigation over the legality of the discharges continued. Trump v. Wilcox (May 22, 2025). The majority claimed that they do not now decide whether Humphrey’s should be overruled because “that question is better left for resolution after full briefing and argument.” However, hinting that these agency members have “considerable” executive power and suggesting that “the Government” faces greater “risk of harm” from an order allowing a removed officer to continue exercising the executive power than a wrongfully removed officer faces from being unable to perform her statutory duty,” the majority gave the President the green light to proceed. Justice Kagan, joined by Justices Sotomayor and Jackson, dissented, asserting that Humphrey’s remains good law until overturned and forecloses both the President’s firings and the Court’s decision to award emergency relief.” Our emergency docket, while fit for some things, should not be used to “overrule or revise existing law.” Moreover, the dissenters contend that the majority’s effort to explain their decision “hardly rises to the occasion.” Maybe by saying that the Commissioners exercise “considerable” executive power, the majority is suggesting that Humphrey’s is no longer good law but if that is what the majority means, then it has foretold a “massive change” in the law and done so on the emergency docket, “with little time, scant briefing, and no argument.” And, the “greater risk of harm” in fact is that Congress provided for these discharged members to serve their full terms, protected from a President’s desire to substitute his political allies. More recently, in the latest shadow docket ruling in the administration’s favor, the same majority of the Court again permitted President Trump to fire, without cause, the Democratic members of another independent agency, this time the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Trump v. Boyle (July 23, 2025). The same three justices dissented, once more objecting to the use of the Court’s emergency docket to destroy the independence of an independent agency as established by Congress. The CPSC, like the NLRB and MSPB, was designed to operate as “a classic independent agency.” In Congress’s view, that structure would better enable the CPSC to achieve its mission — ensuring the safety of consumer products, from toys to appliances — than would a single-party agency under the full control of a single President. “By allowing the President to remove Commissioners for no reason other than their party affiliation, the majority has negated Congress’s choice of agency bipartisanship and independence.” The dissenters also assert that the majority’s sole professed basis for the more recent order in Boyle was its prior order in Wilcox . But in their opinion, Wilcox itself was minimally explained. So, the dissenters claim, the majority rejects the design of Congress for a whole class of agencies by “layering nothing on nothing.” “Next time, though, the majority will have two (if still under-reasoned) orders to cite. Truly, this is ‘turtles all the way down.’” Rapanos v. United States (2006). * ***** *In Rapanos , in a footnote to his plurality opinion, former Supreme Court Justice Scalia explained that this allusion is to a classic story told in different forms and attributed to various authors. His favorite version: An Eastern guru affirms that the earth is supported on the back of a tiger. When asked what supports the tiger, he says it stands upon an elephant; and when asked what supports the elephant, he says it is a giant turtle. When asked, finally, what supports the giant turtle, he is briefly taken aback, but quickly replies "Ah, after that it is turtles all the way down." John Christie was for many years a senior partner in a large Washington, D.C. law firm. He specialized in anti-trust litigation and developed a keen interest in the U.S. Supreme Court about which he lectures and writes.

“Andy Harris Just Made the Most Dangerous Vote of His Career”

By Shore Progress, Progessive Maryland, Progressive Harford Co • July 15, 2025

Marylanders will not forget this vote.

How Many Will Be Kicked Off Medicaid in MD-01 Because of Andy Harris?

By Jan Plotczyk • July 9, 2025

More than 30,000 of our neighbors in Maryland’s first congressional district will lose their health insurance through the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid because of provisions in the GOP’s heartless tax cut and spending bill passed last week.

Six Reasons Why the House Budget Bill Will Hurt Rural America

By Michael Chameides, Barn Raiser • May 21, 2025

Right now, Congress is working on a fast-track bill that would make historic cuts to basic needs programs in order to finance another round of tax breaks for the wealthy and big corporations.

Who Will SNAP Cuts Affect in Maryland? On the Eastern Shore?

By Catlin Nchako, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities • May 21, 2025

The House Agriculture Committee recently voted, along party lines, to advance legislation that would cut as much as $300 million from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. SNAP is the nation’s most important anti-hunger program, helping more than 41 million people in the U.S. pay for food. With potential cuts this large, it helps to know who benefits from this program in Maryland, and who would lose this assistance. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities compiled data on SNAP beneficiaries by congressional district, cited below, and produced the Maryland state datasheet , shown below. In Maryland, in 2023-24, 1 in 9 people lived in a household with SNAP benefits. In Maryland’s First Congressional District, in 2023-24: Almost 34,000 households used SNAP benefits. Of those households, 43% had at least one senior (over age 60). 29% of SNAP recipients were people of color. 15% were Black, non-Hispanic, higher than 11.8% nationally. 6% were Hispanic (19.4% nationally). There were 24,700 total veterans (ages 18-64). Of those, 2,200 lived in households that used SNAP benefits (9%). The CBPP SNAP datasheet for Maryland is below. See data from all the states and download factsheets here.