GOP moderate vies for Senate in true blue Maryland

STATE STATS

Voter makeup:

Maryland contains over 4 million registered voters as of March. In 2022, there were 987,474 registered Republicans compared to more than 2.2 million Democrats. The remaining voters fall into the Libertarian, Green Party, and unaffiliated camps. The state has voted for the Democratic candidate in every presidential election since 1992.

The state is working with a new map of congressional districts, approved in the spring of 2022. It came on the heels of a Democrat-drawn map that a judge threw out for being too favorable for that party. The new map, approved by former Gov. Larry Hogan and the state legislature, didn’t flip the party control of any of the districts, maintaining one solid Republican seat. Six of the seats lean Democrat, like before, and one—the 6th District—is now more competitive.

Voting:

Maryland allows same-day voter registration with proof of residency. It also allows mail-in voting for any reason. Voters can register with any recognized political party or mark themselves unaffiliated, which prevents them from voting in partisan primary elections. Unaffiliated voters can still vote in nonpartisan primaries such as for school board members. Ballot canvassing started on Oct. 15. This allows election officials to review and count mail-in ballots ahead of Election Day. Members of both political parties must be present for canvassing and approve any ballots rejected.

PRESIDENTIAL

On May 14, former President Donald Trump won the Republican primary with 80 percent of the vote. Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley took the other 20 percent despite having suspended her campaign in March. President Joe Biden took 86 percent of the Democratic vote, with roughly 10 percent of Democrats voting uncommitted. Biden beat Trump by 33 points in 2020 in the general election in Maryland. The Old Line State carries 10 electoral college votes. The Maryland Democratic National Committee delegation unanimously switched support to Vice President Kamala Harris after Biden dropped out.

SENATE

U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin, a Democrat, is not running for reelection, leaving a hotly contested seat.

Former Gov. Larry Hogan, 67, a Republican, hopes to win on his experience and popularity among more moderate voters. In 2018, Hogan became the first Republican governor of Maryland since 1954 to win a second term. His campaign has focused on cutting through partisanship to pass policy, pointing to his eight years of tax cuts as governor. Hogan, a Catholic, tried to prevent abortions increasing as governor. He vetoed a 2022 bill that would have allowed non-physicians to provide abortions. He told CNN in a February interview that he would not support a nationwide pro-life law. But his post-primary position has changed. Hogan described himself to the New York Times as pro-choice and promised to support any legislation that codifies a federal right to abortion. Hogan has styled himself as a moderate Republican who would buck his own party in Washington to pull it away from the far right.

Prince George County Executive and former state’s attorney Angela Alsobrooks, a 53-year-old Democrat, is also campaigning for the seat. She won with 54 percent of the vote in Tuesday’s primary, defeating U.S. Rep. David Trone. Alsobrooks received endorsements from current Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md. Alsobrooks supports a national right to abortion. Her other top priorities include agriculture reform, climate change, and education. She has argued that Hogan’s election could give Republicans a Senate majority, even though Hogan claims to be independent-minded. If elected, Alsobrooks would be the state’s first black senator.

U.S. HOUSE

Maryland has eight seats in the House of Representatives.

• The 6th District is the most competitive race this election cycle. Rep. David Trone vacated his seat to run for Senate. The Cook Political Report assigns the seat as “likely Democrat.”

  • April McClain Delaney, 59, won the Democratic nomination for the 6th District. Delaney is the wife of John Delaney, a former representative for the same district who ran for president in 2020. She was an attorney before becoming a leader and board member of Common Sense Media and then deputy assistant secretary for communications for the Commerce Department. Delaney is campaigning on a swath of issues, including universal healthcare and a right to abortion.

  • Republican primary winner Neil Parrott, 53, is a Maryland state legislator who has run for the 6th District seat twice, losing both times to Trone. Parrott promises to lower taxes and fight inflation, protect the unborn, and safeguard parental rights through school choice vouchers.

• In the 3rd District, Democratic Rep. John Sarbanes announced his decision last year not to run again, saying he wants to explore nonpolitical forms of public service.

  • Sarah Elfreth, 35, beat out 18 other candidates for the Democratic nomination. Elfreth was the youngest woman ever elected to the Maryland state legislature in 2018. She co-sponsored an amendment that would add a right to abortion to the state constitution. She also helped pass laws restricting firearm possession in schools, churches, and restaurants.

  • Republican Rob Steinberger, 52, won a crowded primary on May 14. He is a former attorney and has served on several nonprofit and corporate boards. Steinberger also served in the U.S. Navy Reserve from 1994 to 2004. According to his campaign website, he bills himself as a solution to the problems of career politicians, saying he does not believe the system is broken but can still bring change to it. He promises to advocate for border security and end illegal immigration, reform the healthcare system, and support environmental initiatives. He said that while he personally opposes abortion, he thinks women should have a right to choose it. He supports limits for late-term abortion and also exceptions to pro-life laws for rape, incest, and the life of the mother.

• Democratic Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger, 78, announced his retirement in January after over 20 years representing the 2nd District.

  • Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski won the Democratic primary. Olszewski, 41, is campaigning to protect the climate and increase gun regulations. He promises to oppose pro-life protections for the unborn.

  • Kim Klacik, 42, won the Republican primary. Klacik, a conservative political commentator on a local radio station, brands herself as a pro-Trump Republican looking to improve criminal justice and increase school choice. Klacik ran unsuccessfully in the 7th District in 2020, raising over $8 million for her campaign, including an attention-grabbing ad showing her walking through Baltimore, blaming Democratic policies for destroying the city and hurting black residents. Much of her campaign is focused on attacking the Biden administration. She promises to cut Department of Education funding and cut funds going to illegal immigrants.

JUDICIAL ELECTIONS

The Maryland Supreme Court is made up of seven justices, six of whom were appointed by Republican Gov. Hogan. The state Senate confirms appointees.

• Justices preside for at least a year before being subject to a yes-no retention vote. If justices fail to receive more than 50 percent of the vote, they must vacate the seat. They face a retention election again at the end of their 10-year term.

• Justices Angela Eaves and Matthew Fader are up for retention after Hogan appointed them in 2022. Judge Shirley Watts has spent 10 years in office, so she’ll also be on the ballot.

BALLOT MEASURES

This year, voters will decide on The Maryland Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment. The amendment would add a right to “reproductive freedom” to the state constitution, explicitly including the right to terminate a pregnancy. The amendment needs a simple majority to succeed. Maryland already allows abortion, passing legislation in 1991 to ensure abortion would be legal even if Roe v. Wade was overturned.

Dig deeper:

• Read Leo Briceno’s report on Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., who will become the new leader of the House Freedom Caucus in 2025.

• Read Leah Savas’ coverage of abortion ballot measures across the country, including in Maryland.

• Read Carolina Lumetta’s recent reporting on House Speaker Mike Johnson’s concerns about non-U.S. citizens voting in elections in Maryland and across the country.

• Read Leo Briceno’s story about congressional efforts to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore after its March collapse.

• Maryland isn’t the only state with abortion on the ballot this year. Read Carolina’s roundup on Florida’s right to abortion amendment.

Carolina Lumetta assisted with reporting.

Visit the WORLD Election Center 2024 to follow our state-by-state coverage between now and November.