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With just about two months until Election Day, the U.S. Senate contest in Maryland remains a tight race.
Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, a Democrat, is vying for the seat against challenger and former Maryland Republican Gov. Larry Hogan
A Gonzales Poll released this week shows Alsobrooks with a 5-point lead over Hogan.
Last week, an AARP poll found the two candidates in a dead heat.
Hogan joined WTOP for a live interview on the state of the race, some of the key issues in the campaign and the impact of former President Donald Trump.
Listen to the full interview below.
WTOP spoke with Angela Alsobrooks about her campaign two weeks ago.
The transcript below has been lightly edited for clarity.
Anne Kramer: Governor, thanks for joining us. Off the top, let’s talk about this latest poll from Patrick Gonzalez and just polls in general. This one has you about five points behind your opponent. What are your thoughts on these polls and what this latest one said?
Larry Hogan: Well, look, we’ve been working really hard all over the state of Maryland. The race is neck and neck, and the polls are going to continue to be very close — up or down or tied, like the one was last week. I’ve said over and over again that I’m the underdog in this race. We’re over-performing the top of the ticket by about 30 points. So we’re pretty pleased with the success so far. But, as you point out, we’ve got two more months to go. But we’re encouraged, and we’re going to keep working hard.
Shawn Anderson: Abortion rights, reproductive rights, they’re front and center on the national level of campaigns — and also here in Maryland, as voters in November will decide whether or not to enshrine abortion rights in the state’s constitution.
Democrats charge that your philosophy on abortion is consistent with where the national Republicans have been, and your election to the Senate could mean a national abortion ban. What’s your response and where do you stand on keeping abortion legal?
Larry Hogan: Yeah, it’s really sad to see, you know, a campaign that’s completely based on lies, and they continue to lie over and over again about this. But my record is very clear. Marylanders know me. I ran for governor promising to protect abortion rights. I delivered on that promise. We did it for eight years. For 30-some years, I’m on the record opposing a national abortion ban. I said that I will co-sponsor the bill to codify Roe, and I am willing to co-sponsor the bill to protect IVF.
So everything they’re saying is completely false. And you know, they’re just trying to trick and scare women and use national DNC tactics that don’t work, because my position is basically the same as hers (Alsobrooks).
Anne Kramer: We know that you said several months ago you wouldn’t be supporting Donald Trump in the presidential election. Yesterday, former Congresswoman Liz Cheney, a staunch conservative Republican, said she would vote for Kamala Harris. Will you do the same? And why or why not?
Larry Hogan: No. I mean, I certainly respect Congresswoman Cheney and her right to make her own decision. But you know, I don’t think that either of these two candidates are the best people to be serving as president. And you know, I’ve said I wouldn’t vote for either one of them.
Shawn Anderson: It is no secret that the key to your unique political success here in Maryland has been your ability to gain support from independents and moderate Democrats, and you continually criticize the MAGA Republicans led by Donald Trump, but what do you say to those independents and Democrats who like you, who have voted for you, but they’re willing to consider Angela Alsobrooks, because they’re afraid of a Republican takeover of the Senate?
Larry Hogan: Well, look, I think I’m going to be that key swing vote that can stand up to the crazy on both sides, to the extremes of both parties. I think I will be a key voice and an important voice to try to get people to work together, which is exactly, you know, what I did for eight years as governor. I left office last January with 79% of Democrats approving of the job that I’ve done. And I’m going to be the exact same kind of person in the Senate that you know that I was as governor.
I think I’ll be a lot like Joe Manchin, who, just yesterday came out, and was speaking very highly of me, and thought I was exactly the kind of person that we need in the Senate.
Anne Kramer: So in that vein, if Donald Trump wins the White House, and Republicans hold the house, and the Senate goes … 50-50, would you be willing to serve as a pure independent, as opposed to caucusing with Republicans to stop a total Trump take over of the government?
Larry Hogan: Well, it’s not going to be a total Trump takeover. I’ve been the leading voice of opposition to Donald Trump for at least eight years, and will continue to stand up for the people of Maryland. And when I think it’s wrong, I’ll stand up to the current president, to the former president, and to the next president. And I think being in that key role, I’ll be able to stop crazy things from happening. And when I agree with them, I’ll work with them — and when I don’t, I won’t. I was governor through three presidents, and I continually tried to stand up and do the right thing for the people of Maryland and things that I thought were right for the country. And I had no problem. I never caved, and never had any fear of standing up. And I will continue to be the same way. We’re lacking that kind of leadership in Washington, quite frankly. And we don’t need just another kind of rubber stamp, typical partisan politician that’s going to be politics as usual.
Shawn Anderson: You have a debate coming up soon with Angela Alsobrooks. Give us a reason how you are very separate from her.
Larry Hogan: I think we’re different on a lot of things. I mean, just if you look at our experiences and our records and where we are on issues.
We’ve got a crime plan that we put out. She’s got one of the worst records on crime. We have skyrocketing crime, out of control in Prince George’s County, with carjackings up 500%, murders up 100%.
We have differences of opinions. She wants to raise taxes at the federal, state and local level, and I spent my whole eight years getting Democrats to cut taxes in Maryland. I’m concerned about the economy and affordability.
And you know, I’m concerned about securing the border and fixing our broken immigration system. And she’s not, and she refuses to cooperate with ICE and lets violent criminals out on the streets and supports illegals voting in national elections, which I don’t think even Kamala Harris is for.
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