Hogan Wins GOP Senate Primary; Alsobrooks Bests Trone: AP

UPDATED AT 10:52 PM

MARYLAND — In Maryland's Democratic primary election for U.S. Senate, Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks has been declared the winner over Rep. David Trone of Montgomery County.

The Associated Press declared the race for Alsobrooks at 9:46 p.m.

She will face former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan in November in a bid to replace retiring Democrat Sen. Ben Cardin. And voters on Tuesday chose President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump as their standard-bearers for their respective political parties in the fall.

As of 10: 15 p.m., in the Democratic Senate primary race, Alsobrooks was leading over Trone by a margin of about 35,000 votes, according to AP tallies. Alsobrooks had 183,037 or 52.98% of the votes, while Trone had 148,503 or 42.98% of votes cast.

At 10:17 p.m., the Associated Press called the presidential races for Biden and Trump, respectively. Biden received 87.23% of the vote in early, unofficial returns. Trump had 80.04% of the vote to 19.96% for challenger Nikki Haley, who dropped out of the GOP race two months ago.

Former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, was projected to easily win the Senate Republican primary, the AP said, with 61.80% percent of the vote in early tallies.

"We know that what unites us as Marylanders and as Americans is greater than that which divides us. In the Senate, I'll continue the work to ensure that every child in America has access to a great education and economic opportunity regardless of what neighborhood they grow up in," Hogan said in a speech to supporters after he was declared the nominee. "I'll work to secure the border and fix the broken immigration system. To reverse the tide of rising violent crime and keep our communities safe, I will continue to fight to get guns out of the hands of criminals and to hold violent offenders accountable, because politics should never come before public safety."

Check the Maryland Board of Elections site for live results. Officials will start to update with tallies from early voting and then counts from Tuesday as they come in after polls closed at 8 p.m.

A former Capitol Police officer who fought the mob critics say Trump incited on Jan. 6, 2021, Harry Dunn, was a leading contender for the Third District Congressional seat being vacated by retiring Democrat John Sarbanes, pundits said. The district includes parts of Anne Arundel and Howard County, including Columbia and Ellicott City.

But Dunn came up short Tuesday, losing to Sarah Elfreth for the Democratic nomination in the 3rd Congressional District, the AP declared at 10:27 p.m.

Dunn sought elected office for the first time, and gained public exposure via his testimony given during televised congressional hearings about the U.S. Capitol attack. In 2023, he received the Presidential Citizens Medal from President Biden for his actions on Jan. 6.

The New York Times said Dunn had $4.6 million in campaign donations, larger than any other House candidate in Maryland. Elfreth, a state senator, raised $1.5 million in donations and garnered $4.4 million more from outside groups.

As of 10:54 p.m. Elfreth led with 18,888 votes or 35.79%, to 13,103 votes or 24.83% for Dunn.

In the GOP race for that seat, Robert J. Steinberger leads the field with 6,516 votes or 25.02%.

Patch will update this story as unofficial vote counts come in, and note when any races are called by the Associated Press.

Rep. C.A. "Dutch" Ruppersberger (D) is not seeking re-election in Maryland's Second Congressional District. The 78-year-old has served the district for more than 21 years. Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski, a Democrat known as "Johnny O," threw his hat in the ring to replace Ruppersberger. He's favored to win the Democratic nomination for the seat.

Republicans in the 2nd District race are Kim Klacik, John Thorman and Dave Wallace. Klacik drew support from Trump when she unsuccessfully ran for Congress four years ago.

Pundits think the Democratic Senate primary will come down to a battle between Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks and U.S. Rep. David Trone (D-MD District 6, of Montgomery County).

Hogan entered the Senate Republican primary late in the game, but he made the race competitive in deep-blue Maryland. Hogan gives the GOP a shot at giving Maryland its first Republican U.S. senator in 37 years, and bolsters national GOP hopes of regaining control of the Senate.

Related:

• Hogan Popular In Senate Race, Abortion Hurts His Chances: Patch Survey
• Baltimore County Executive Running For 2nd District Congress Seat

An Associated Press story said that while Hogan won Democratic votes when he was governor, that's not as likely to happen in his Senate campaign.

"Some Maryland Democrats have a soft spot for Larry Hogan, their former two-term Republican governor in a heavily blue state. But they don’t want to turn an open Senate seat – and possibly control of the chamber – over to the GOP this year," the AP said.

Trone, who owns national liquor retailer Total Wine & More, has put more than $61 million of his own money into his primary bid in what could become a record for a self-funded Senate campaign.

Alsobrooks is the chief executive of Maryland’s second-largest county, and Prince George’s has the state’s highest number of registered Democrats in the Washington suburbs. The AP said Alsobrooks has highlighted the donations Trone has made to Republican candidates in the past, including to some who supported abortion bans.

Both Alsobrooks and Trone have campaigned this year on support for abortion access, which will be a constitutional amendment on the November ballot in Maryland.

Incumbents Andy Harris (R-District 1) and Kweisi Mfume (R-District 7) both won their primaries for re-election.

Glenn Ivey won the Democratic nomination for U.S. House in Maryland's 4th Congressional District, according to AP. Democrat Jamie Raskin won the nomination for U.S. House in the 8th Congressional District, and Democrat Steny Hoyer won his primary for the 5th Congressional District

Democrat Cindy Welch, a 79-year-old from Odenton, is "concerned about women's right to choose" to have an abortion. She is supporting President Joe Biden (D) for re-election. The retired social worker is still "frightened" by the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in an effort to block Biden's election.

Republican Rhonda Fowler, a 69-year-old from Severn, voted for former GOP President Donald Trump to return to the White House this year. She said Trump can "bring our country back to us" with his "Make America Great Again" policies. Fowler's top concern is stopping undocumented immigration at the southern border.

U.S. Senate Candidates (* denotes winner)

Democrats

• Angela Alsobrooks*
• Michael W. Cobb, Sr.
• Marcellus Crews
• Brian E. Frydenborg
• Scottie J. Griffin
• Robert K. Houton
• Joseph Perez
• Steven Henry Seuferer
• David J. Trone
• Andrew Jaye Wildman

Republicans

• Moe H. Barakat
• Chris Chaffee
• Robin Ficker
• Lorie R. Friend
• Larry Hogan*
• John A. Myrick
• Laban Y. Seyoum

Congressional District 1 Candidates (* denotes winner)

Democrats

• Blane H. Miller, III
• Blessing T. Oluwadare

Republicans

• Chris Bruneau, Sr.
• Andy Harris (Incumbent)*
• Michael Scott Lemon

Congressional District 2 Candidates (* denotes winner)
Democrats

• Harry Bhandari
• Sia Kyriakakos
• John "Johnny O" Olszewski, Jr.*
• Sharron Reed-Burns
• Jessica Sjoberg
• Clint Spellman Jr.

Republicans

• Kim Klacik*
• John Thormann
• Dave Wallace

Congressional District 7 Candidates (* denotes winner)

Democrats

• Tashi Kimandus Davis
• Kweisi Mfume (Incumbent)*

Republicans

• Scott M. Collier
• Wayne "For Freedom" McNeal
• Lorrie A. Sigley

The presidential election is widely predicted to be a rematch between current President Joe Biden (D) and former President Donald Trump (R). They are both seeking their second and final four-year term.

Democrats

• Joe Biden (Incumbent)*
• Dean Phillips
• Marianne Williamson

Republicans

• Nikki R. Haley
• Donald J. Trump (Former president)*

Republican Allan Schwartz, a 76-year-old from Odenton, voted for Trump once but skipped the presidential section of his ballot this year because of the former president's indictments. Schwartz preferred Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, but the entrepreneur and former pharmaceutical executive dropped out in January.

"We had a couple good choices besides Trump, but his base and machine carried him in," Schwartz said, noting that he voted for Hogan in the Senate primary. "People say [Hogan] was a RINO (Republican In Name Only), but he wasn't. He knew how to work both sides."

Patch Editor Jacob Baumgart contributed reporting to this story.