Alsobrooks, Hogan tied in Maryland U.S. Senate race poll

Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks (D) and former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan (R) are in a dead heat in the contest for the U.S. Senate seat of Ben Cardin (D), a new poll showed Tuesday. Hogan remains a popular governor across party lines in the state, and Alsobrooks received praise and national exposure with a speaking slot at last week's Democratic National Convention. While the race is considered by many to be the most important in deciding which party will next control the Senate, there haven't been enough polls to provide a consistent measure of the state of the race. The AARP poll showed Alsobrooks and Hogan tied at 46% each. 8% of the voters polled remain undecided, a statistically-significant number in light of the poll result.

Alsobrooks (above) and Hogan (top) celebrated
International Dog Day Monday by tweeting
photos of their pets

"We have always known that this race was going to be decided on the margins, and this new poll today confirms that," Alsobrooks tweeted in an appeal for fundraising support. "I've been clear from the start that we are the underdogs in this race," Hogan said in a statement reacting to the poll. The former governor said the close race shows that he has a chance to potentially defy the odds once again in a state that is considered blue, but has elected a GOP executive three times in the last 22 years.

One of the most notable statistics from the poll is that more than a quarter of voters who support Kamala Harris for President told AARP's pollsters that they are voting for Hogan. Former President Donald Trump has clashed with Hogan for many years, as the former governor has been among the most vocal "Never Trumpers" in the GOP. 

Despite the intraparty disagreements over Trump, the Maryland Republican Party was thrilled by yesterday's poll results. "Larry Hogan's independent Republican message is resonating against Angela Alsobrooks' extreme far-left agenda," Maryland GOP Executive Director Adam J. Wood said in a statement. "We have a real opportunity to elect Maryland's first Republican U.S. Senator in nearly 40 years, and these polls show that every single vote is going to matter."

Both candidates had campaign stops in Montgomery County this week. Alsobrooks was at Riderwood on Monday, and in Kensington for an event on antisemitism that night, while Hogan toured an AstraZeneca biotech facility in Gaithersburg earlier the same day.

Photos courtesy Alsobrooks for Senate, Hogan for Maryland, Inc.