BALTIMORE – Sharon and Lyle Mountan arrived at the Boulevard Diner in their hometown of Dundalk before 11 a.m. Friday. It wasn’t their first time.
Early breakfast is cheaper. As two voters in their late 70s who are concerned about the economy, they appreciate a breakfast special for less than $10.
But Sharon Mountan said she was motivated to the polls by a bigger issue: “the border.”
When Republican Larry Hogan showed up at the restaurant Friday trying to earn every vote in the U.S. Senate race, he didn’t have to work hard with her. She said she had chosen him days earlier during early voting. Her husband did not vote.
Sharon Mountan said Hogan deserved her support because “he was a good governor,” and she thinks he would be a good senator because “he’s more open-minded.” She is not concerned that Hogan would lose his independent streak if Republicans win the majority in the U.S. Senate. She does not believe he would be controlled by party bosses.
Other diners and supporters echoed the same, accusing his opponent of a bit of hypocrisy. Democrat Angela Alsobrooks has repeatedly accused Hogan of pandering to Senate Republican leaders, saying he donned the team jersey when Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell urged him to run. His supporters say he is not the one to campaign with party bosses, and in a blue state it would not be politically beneficial to campaign with them. Alsobrooks has campaigned with the Democratic Party’s biggest stars, including visiting former President Barack Obama on Thursday.
“She is closed-minded and always agrees with Democrats,” said Jan Hayden, a 79-year-old Democrat from Catonsville who is voting for Hogan. “He sees all sides.”
Jackie Busy, deputy communications director for the Alsobrooks campaign, said, “Angela is spending the final days of the campaign focused on the future and the incredible people of this state. Her volunteers were thrilled to receive a surprise visit from President Obama, who knows better than anyone how important it is to defend our Democratic majority in the Senate.”
Hogan is spending the final days of the campaign as he spent the first: without a string of big names.
“The stars I’m highlighting are real people, real Marylanders,” he said during an interview with The Baltimore Sun on Friday. “My wife works at the polling stations every day. She’s probably the big star, I think, that I brought in.
The former two-term governor sees their recent schedules as indicative of their campaigns and an unusually close Senate battle in a reliably blue state.
“I’m going to try to represent all Marylanders, and that’s what my whole campaign is about. Hers is about party bosses,” he said. “I think she will be a rubber stamp for the party bosses.”
For her part, Alsobrooks has often said, “If he wanted to be an independent, he should have run as an independent.”
“When Mitch McConnell called him, he put on the jersey,” Alsobrooks said previously. “He got into the game.”
That message did not seem to reach most people in the packed Boulevard Diner. Some were Hogan supporters who knew he would be there. But most were unaware and were surprised to see the former governor appear while they were having breakfast. As he walked into the main part of the restaurant, he was greeted with applause and cheers – and at least one plea to bring more sanity to the country.
Mike Smero, a 69-year-old Hogan voter from Perry Hall, worries about immigration and the economy.
“I’m retired, you know, and I’m on Social Security, and I’m just trying to make ends meet as long as I can,” he said.
Deb Sullivan is a 66-year-old small business owner from Rosedale. Her company, Sullivan & Sons, is a towing and recovery company in Essex and Harford County. She supports Hogan because she is tired of “drowning in a sea of blue.”
“We need elected officials in seats where they have the opportunity to work in a bipartisan manner and share our views as citizens, as business owners, as parents and grandparents and about what is good for families,” she said.
Sullivan also thinks he would be a good advocate for Maryland’s small businesses and consumers in the Senate.
“I don’t think the average small business is surviving like it used to,” she said. “So many have had to close. Taxes are very high in this state and economy, parts, supplies and just going to the (grocery) store. I went to the store yesterday and didn’t buy any meat other than from the deli and my bill was over $400. It was ridiculous.”
Sullivan said “an overhaul” is needed.
“We need to do a lot better in this state, and I think Governor Hogan will bring that to the table,” she said. “I think he will listen to the voters, and he will be the voice of the people. And not everyone will agree with him, but you can be sure he will cross the party line.”
