Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, the Democratic nominee in the race for Maryland’s open U.S. Senate seat, recalls flying to California in June 2016, the weekend before the state’s primary election that year, to join now-Vice President Kamala Harris as she campaigned for U.S. Senate.
“What struck me during the time that I was there was that the weekend before this very exciting race, she was not talking about herself. She wasn't even talking about her race. She was talking about me — asking me how things were going with me, with the job. She was asking about various issues, giving advice,” Alsobrooks said in an interview with WYPR.
That, in a nutshell, is who Harris is, Alsobrooks said.
“They say politicians talk about themselves, but what we know is leaders talk about others, and Vice President Harris is a leader,” she said.
When Democratic Party leaders convene in Chicago next month, they are expected to name Harris the party’s presidential nominee. But to Alsobrooks, Harris is a friend and mentor. She first met Harris 14 years ago, when Harris was the San Francisco district attorney and Alsobrooks was running to hold the same role in Prince George’s County.
Alsobrooks spoke with WYPR Tuesday about what sets Harris apart.
Both women have been “first” multiple times.
Harris was the first Black woman to serve as district attorney in San Francisco before she became the first female and first Black vice president.
Alsobrooks was the first female state’s attorney and county executive in Prince George’s County, and the first Black woman to serve as county executive in Maryland.
With both having started their political careers as prosecutors, Alsobrooks believes that shared background shapes the way they approach problem solving.
“It's something that many of us say as prosecutors, which is not asking what's wrong with someone but what happened to them, and really delving into some of the societal issues that impact families.”
Alsobrooks adds she and Harris share the view that public safety and equality go hand in hand.
“She believes in the rule of law and as an attorney has fought to protect the rule of law, and she will continue to do that both where crime is concerned, and where immigration is concerned,” Alsobrooks said. “She also respects the dignity of people, respects the humanity of all people.”
Over the years, Harris has shared advice with Alsobrooks, including one piece of advice that was previously given to Harris: More important than being the first at something is to make sure you are not the last.
“That's advice that I have internalized, to make sure that you do the kind of job that provides opportunities for others,” Alsobrooks said.
Now Alsobrooks is vying to be the first Black woman to represent Maryland in the Senate, while her mentor hopes to be the first woman president. That possibility is already mobilizing Black women.
Alsobrooks described a Zoom call this past Sunday hosted by Win With Black Women. Calls typically have about 300-400 participants. This call had 44,000 Black women join and raised $1.5 million for Harris’ nascent campaign.
She expects that excitement to boost voter turnout among Democrats in Maryland, which helps her effort to defeat former Gov. Larry Hogan in the Senate race.
She also predicted young voters and college students will be especially energized by Harris as the nominee, not to mention the members of the so-called Divine Nine — historically Black fraternities and sororities. Both Alsobrooks and Harris are members.
“We are all in,” said Alsobrooks, a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. “The Divine Nine has been activated, and we are all in for Kamala Harris.”