Democrats Win Maryland Senate Race—and Say Goodbye to Larry Hogan

In one of the most expensive Senate races in the country, Democrat Angela Alsobrooks prevailed and won Maryland’s open seat, defeating former Republican Governor Larry Hogan by a nine-point margin.

The Associated Press called for the race for Alsobrooks on Tuesday evening, with Alsobrooks leading Hogan 54.6 percent to 43.3 percent, with 52 percent of votes reported.

Alsobrooks defeated the moderate Hogan, who ran as an anti-Trump (but not pro-Harris) Republican and who enjoyed widespread popularity in Maryland during his two terms as governor despite the state being solidly Democratic in presidential elections. Alsobrooks is the county executive of Prince George’s County in Maryland near Washington, D.C., and will be Maryland’s first Black senator.

Over $105 million was spent by both candidates in the race, making it the fourth-most-expensive Senate race in the 2024 election cycle, according to nonpartisan organization OpenSecrets. In contrast, the previous holder of the seat, retiring Democrat Ben Cardin, spent only $5.1 million in his 2018 reelection effort.

Hogan’s entry in the race in February made what was considered a reliable Democratic Senate seat competitive and seemingly put Democrats’ plans to retain control of the chamber in jeopardy. Republican megadonors poured money into Hogan’s campaign, with one conservative super PAC flooding Maryland’s airwaves with attack ads against Alsobrooks. In the end, it wasn’t enough, as Alsobrooks was able to overcome the onslaught much like her victory over another well-funded candidate in the state’s Democratic primary, Representative David Trone.

Ultimately, Hogan’s war chest was not enough to overcome Alsobrooks’s advantage in the polls and Democrats’ counter-fundraising. The fact that he publicly criticized Donald Trump and admitted that he wouldn’t vote for the former president didn’t win him enough Democrats or independents to carry the state. Democrats can breathe a sigh of relief that they’ve held onto the Senate seat, which will bolster their efforts to retain control of the Senate. As it stands, they hold a 10-seat deficit, with 18 Senate races still to be called.