A new ad from Democrat Angela Alsobrooks aims to reach voters who previously supported Republican Larry Hogan, the state’s popular former governor who is now in a much closer race for the U.S. Senate against Alsobrooks.
The 30-second spot, titled “This Time’s Different,” features several former Hogan voters and will air on network TV on Tuesday, according to the Alsobrooks campaign.
The ad begins with former Hogan voters saying they would not vote for him again “because Larry Hogan would give Republicans control of the Senate. Republicans could pass a national abortion ban and more tax cuts for big corporations. Republicans would have the power to appoint judges to the Supreme Court. I don’t want the Republicans to be in control. I voted for Larry Hogan before. Not this time.”
Hogan won two terms as governor in Maryland, one of the bluest states in the country, by positioning himself as a pro-business check on the state’s Democratic legislature. As a candidate for the U.S. Senate, Hogan is running on name ID, and is also moving toward the center on abortion, describing himself as “pro-choice” and promising to enshrine abortion access in federal law.
But polls consistently show Democrat Angela Alsobrooks, the top elected official in Prince George’s County, leading Hogan, even as he tells voters he would be an independent voice in the closely divided U.S. Senate. Hogan has also distanced himself from Trump, who is deeply unpopular in a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans by more than 2-to-1.
Hogan is leaving a ton of money on the race — including $19 million in TV ad reservations, while Alsobrooks has only $2 million in future advertising reservations through Election Day, according to AdImpac. Alsobrooks’ campaign would not disclose how much it spent on airing this latest ad.
Maryland isn’t the only state where candidates are courting voters from around the world. Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, who is running for re-election in a Trump state, airs a TV ad touting the Republicans who support him. Democratic Senator Jon Tester of Montana launched the “Republicans for Tester” coalition in a similarly tough race as he seeks re-election.
