Democrat Angela Alsobrooks and Republican Larry Hogan discussed topics such as abortion rights, gun control and multiple foreign policy issues during their first debate Thursday on Maryland Public Television. It is likely to be the only debate between the two major party candidates vying to represent Maryland in the U.S. Senate.
As the debate touched on each of the different topics, many answers centered on one theme: Republicans versus Democrats.
Hogan portrayed himself as an independent, someone who rises above party politics.
“I don't think we need more partisan politicians who are going to be rubber stamps for their party,” the former governor said in response to one question. “What we need are people that are willing to stand up and work with both parties, or to criticize both parties when they're wrong.”
Alsobrooks, on other hand, repeatedly pointed out that the party in the majority sets the agenda in the Senate. It decides, for example, whether legislation protecting the right to abortion or implementing restrictions on gun ownership come up for a vote.
“No matter what former Governor Hogan says today, he would empower a caucus of people who will take our country backwards, putting Lindsey Graham over the Judiciary Committee, putting Ted Cruz over the Science Committee, who's a science and climate denier,” said the Prince George’s County Executive. “He would empower a caucus that is against our values.”
For Mileah Kromer, director of the University of Maryland Baltimore County Institute of Politics, who watched the debate taping, the candidates seemed to have more in common than not. But she said that might be beside the point.
“I think the larger question is really the control of the Senate,” said Kromer, whose poll on the race was released this week. “It’s not so much what Larry Hogan would do as an individual, but Angela Alsobrooks continuing to press what the Republicans would do if they were in the majority.”
On the issues, both candidates said they would vote for legislation protecting abortion rights and restricting gun access.
For Hogan, both positions seem misaligned with vetoes he issued as governor. For example, he vetoed a bill that allows nurse practitioners, physician assistants and midwives to perform abortions. The General Assembly overrode that veto.
During the debate, Hogan said the bill — now a law — ”was rolling back and making it less safe for women to get access to abortion.”
He also vetoed a bill requiring background checks for long guns. Again, the legislature overrode that veto.
“The long gun bill — nobody was out shooting people with hunting rifles in Baltimore City or Prince George's County,” he told reporters after the debate. “It's all illegal handguns.”
To achieve her policy priorities, Alsobrooks said she supports eliminating the filibuster, allowing the Senate to pass legislation with 51 votes. She said she also supports changes to the Supreme Court, such as term limits or increasing the number of justices.
Hogan said he opposes both eliminating the filibuster and adding members to the court and expressed concerns that both moves would add to partisan divisions in Washington. He also refused to answer a question about whether he would have voted to confirm Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
On the economy, Alsobrooks said she would vote to cut taxes for anyone earning less than $400,000 a year. However, she said she would support raising the amount higher income earners pay into Social Security.
“For people like my aging parents, Social Security is a lifeline,” she said. “By 2035 it's due to run out of money, and raising the cap for those who are earning over $400,000 to save Social Security is going to be really important.”
Hogan did not make any commitments related to taxes or Social Security funding.
The candidates were asked about legalizing recreational marijuana at the federal level. Alsobrooks supports it, while Hogan does not.
But on foreign policy, Alsobrooks and Hogan portrayed themselves as more alike than not. Both emphasized the importance of supporting allies such as Ukraine and Taiwan.
“The reason I got into this race — the final straw for me was when I watched Republicans and Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell tank the bipartisan deal that was going to secure the border, provide funding for Taiwan, for Ukraine and, most importantly, for Israel, and they were for all of those things, but then they were told to change their vote,” Hogan said.
But Alsobrooks again reminded the audience that Hogan’s personal position might not be relevant if the Republican Party holds the majority in the Senate.
“If the Republicans are in the Senate, they have shown that they do not respect our alliances, including NATO — will back out of it and will leave Ukraine to fight for itself,” she said.