ALSOBROOKS BEATS TRONE FOR DEM SENATE NOMINATION: Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks on Tuesday night won the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, overcoming record spending by her chief rival, U.S. Rep. David Trone of Potomac. Louis Peck/MoCo 360.
- With 97% of precincts reporting, Alsobrooks had 54% of the vote to 42% for Trone (D-6th), ending a bitter campaign and the most expensive Senate primary in state history. Danielle J. Brown, William J. Ford, Bryan P. Sears and Josh Kurtz/Maryland Matters.
- Alsobrooks was backed by Maryland’s governor and other leading Democrats. If she defeats the Republican nominee, former Gov. Larry Hogan, in November, she would also become only the fourth Black woman in U.S. Senate history and join Maryland’s currently all-male congressional delegation. Jeff Barker/The Baltimore Sun.
- Alsobrooks presented voters with a historic opportunity to send the state’s first Black person to the U.S. Senate, where only three Black women have served. A little-known local official, she built an influential coalition of the state’s top Democrats to introduce her statewide. Erin Cox, Teo Armus and Lateshia Beachum/The Washington Post.
- Alsobrooks crushed Trone in her home base, the diverse Washington suburbs of Prince George’s County, where she is the county executive. She beat him in Baltimore City, Baltimore County and suburban Howard County. She even narrowly beat him in his home base, Montgomery County, a Washington suburb with some of the most affluent communities in the country. Jonathan Weissman/The New York Times.
- Alsobrooks had cast her campaign as a David and Goliath story, contrasting her as a David against Trone, a wealthy congressman, as Goliath. Trone poured more than $60 million of his personal wealth into his campaign over the past year, outspending Alsobrooks by a 9-1 margin. Pamela Wood, Penelope Blackwell, Meredith Cohn and Rona Kobell/The Baltimore Banner.
HIGH STAKES SENATE RACE: With Maryland’s U.S. Senate matchup set between Democrat Angela Alsobrooks and Republican Larry Hogan, both parties are ramping up for an intense campaign season that will draw an unusual amount of national attention and money. The stakes are high: Maryland is among a handful of states with competitive races that could determine the balance of power in the Senate, which currently has a slim Democratic majority. Pamela Wood/The Baltimore Banner.
State Sen. Sarah Elfreth talks to supporters Tuesday night in Annapolis. While she was the apparent winner of the Democratic primary in the 3rd Congressional District, she said she would not claim victory till all the votes were counted. MarylandReporter.com photo by Len Lazarick
ANALYSIS: SO MUCH FOR PRIMARY POLLS AND SPENDING $300 PER VOTE: It wasn’t even close. Polling in primaries when many voters are undecided and turnout is low is notoriously unreliable. Surveys were showing close Democratic races for the U.S. Senate and the 3rd Congressional District, but those weren’t even close. Angela Alsobrooks scored a blowout against David Trone, who plowed a ridiculous $60 million of his own money into the race and spent more than $300 per vote in a losing cause. In the 3rd Congressional District, state Sen. Sarah Elfreth was not claiming victory Tuesday night. But she had won a surprising 35% of the vote in a field of 22 candidates that included four other state legislators and a big-spending national celebrity, former Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn. Len Lazarick/MarylandReporter.com.
ELFRETH BEATS DUNN FOR DEM NOMINATION TO 3rd CONGRESSIONAL: State Sen. Sarah K. Elfreth was projected to win the Democratic primary to succeed retiring Rep. John Sarbanes in the 3rd Congressional District race on Tuesday night. Former Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn, among the leading contenders in the 22-candidate Democratic race, told Elfreth that he would be an asset in “any way he can be” to defeat her challenger in November. Joe Heim, Katie Shepherd and Danny Nguyen/The Washington Post.
- With all Election Day precincts reporting in Howard, Anne Arundel and Carroll counties, along with early voting tallies and a count of some mailed-in ballots, Elfreth had 35% of the vote Tuesday to just under 25% for Dunn. The primary featured 22 Democrats. Josh Kurtz and Nene Narh-Mensah/Maryland Matters.
- Dunn was a star, a burly Capitol Police officer who battled a pro-Trump mob on Jan. 6, 2021 … then ran for the House he had defended at risk to his life. He may have lived slightly outside the House district he wanted to represent. He may have had no political experience. But he was the candidate running to “save democracy.” Jonathan Weissman/The New York Times.
- Dunn told a small crowd of supporters Tuesday night that he had just called Elfreth with congratulations and an offer of support come November. ”I am here to be an asset in any way I can to make sure that we defeat the Republican challenger,” he said. He thanked the room for coming out to support him, and said he he gave everything he had. Brenda Wintrode and Abby Zimmardi/The Baltimore Banner.
OLSZEWSKI TO FACE KLACIK FOR 2nd CONGRESSIONAL: Baltimore County Executive John Olszewski Jr., 41, a moderate who had been endorsed by incumbent 2nd District U.S. Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger, who he hopes to succeed, and former U.S. House majority leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.), had no difficulty fending off five challengers and was projected to win the Democratic race. In November he will face Kim Klacik, 42, a conservative radio talk show host who was projected to easily win her primary against her two opponents. Joe Heim/The Washington Post.
- “I will be a tireless advocate for our district and a champion for progress,” Olszewski said Tuesday night, speaking to a crowd of his supporters. Klacik, who has never won an election but is a powerhouse fund-raiser, posted a simple thank you message on social media. Cody Boteler/The Baltimore Banner.
IT WILL BE McCLAIN DELANEY VS. PARROTT FOR THE 6th CONGRESSIONAL: In the race for the the 6th Congressional District seat held by David Trone, with all but one precinct reporting, Democrat April McClain Delaney, a lawyer, philanthropist and former U.S. Commerce Department official, had 39% of the vote to 27% for her nearest competitor for Del. Joe Vogel (D-Montgomery), in a 16-candidate field. Former Del. Neil Parrott had 48% of the Republican primary vote in unofficial returns, to 30% for Dan Cox, the party’s failed 2022 gubernatorial nominee. Danielle Gaines/Maryland Matters.
- Parrott represented part of Washington County in the General Assembly from 2011 to 2022. He ran for the congressional seat in 2020 and 2022, both times losing to Trone. Vogel conceded the race to McClain Delaney around 10:30 pm Tuesday night. “I pledged to her I would do everything in my power to make sure we hold this seat blue in November,” Vogel said, voicing his support for McClain Delaney. Ginny Bixby/MoCo 360.
INCUMBENT CONGRESSMEN EASILY WIN THEIR PRIMARIES: The 2nd and 3rd congressional districts were two of a few competitive primary races for congressional seats in the Baltimore region and in Western Maryland on the ballot Tuesday. All eight of Maryland’s U.S. House districts have elections this year for new two-year terms. Five incumbents easily won their party’s primaries Tuesday — Andy Harris, an Eastern Shore Republican, and Democrats Glenn Ivey, a Democrat representing most of Prince George’s County; Steny Hoyer, representing Charles, St. Mary’s and Calvert counties; Kweisi Mfume, representing Baltimore City and parts of Baltimore County; and Jamie Raskin, representing Montgomery County. Sam Janesch and Lia Russell/The Baltimore Sun.
INCUMBENT BALTIMORE MAYOR SCOTT BEATS DIXON: Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott declared victory in his bid for reelection Tuesday after opening what appeared to be an insurmountable lead over his chief opponent, former Mayor Sheila Dixon. The AP called the race for Scott at 11:24 p.m. Taking the stage minutes later at his South Baltimore election night party, Scott thanked Dixon for running a hard-fought campaign, but said it was time to “turn the page.” Emily Opilo/The Baltimore Sun.
- Declaring victory, Scott made a pointed reference to Dixon’s support by the conservative founder and chairman of Sinclair Broadcast Group and his family who, as The Brew reported, backed her heavily, ultimately investing more than $400,000 to support her candidacy. Fern Shen/Baltimore Brew.
- Scott had a several thousand vote lead over Dixon as results came in Tuesday evening, with more than 70% of precincts reporting, plus results from early voting and a first round of mail-in ballots. The AP called the race for Scott around 11:30 p.m. Emily Sullivan/The Baltimore Banner.
BIDEN, TRUMP EASILY WIN IN MARYLAND PRIMARIES: President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump easily won their party primaries in Maryland, with the AP calling those races shortly after polls closed at 8 p.m. Staff/The Baltimore Banner.
