Silver Spring, Maryland (CNN) 鈥� The farmers market in this suburb of Washington, DC, was a ripe crowd for Angela Alsobrooks, who鈥檚 locked in an increasingly contentious Senate Democratic primary on Tuesday.
鈥淚 would really like to see a Black woman in the Senate. It鈥檚 about time,鈥� 68-year-old Kathy Pruitt of Takoma Park said as she stood in the pickle line last Saturday.
If elected in November, Alsobrooks, the executive of Prince George鈥檚 County, could become only the third Black woman ever elected to the Senate. (The one Black woman currently serving 鈥� California鈥檚 Laphonza Butler 鈥� was appointed and to stay beyond this year.) Alsobrooks would also add a woman to Maryland鈥檚 10-person congressional delegation, which is all male.
First, though, she鈥檇 have to defeat one of those men 鈥� , the co-owner of Total Wine & More, who has poured about $60 million of his own money into the election so far.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 going to be a tight race, and I think they both have a path to victory,鈥� said Mileah Kromer, who oversees the Goucher College Poll, noting the potential power of Alsobrooks鈥� endorsements and Prince George鈥檚 County base vs. Trone鈥檚 enormous spending advantage.
The race has divided Congress, with nearly all of the Maryland delegation backing Alsobrooks and key members of House Democratic leadership backing Trone. The eventual nominee will likely face off against former GOP Gov. Larry Hogan, whose popularity in the state could of holding the seat 鈥� and with them, the Senate majority.
The potential history-making aspect of Alsobrooks鈥� candidacy isn鈥檛 her central pitch to voters, and many of her female supporters stressed that this isn鈥檛 about identity politics.
鈥淚f I didn鈥檛 like everything else about her, it would not be enough,鈥� Pruitt said.
And yet in a contest with few distinct policy differences between the candidates on big federal issues, Alsobrooks is making her lived experience a point of contrast with Trone 鈥� especially in a race where protecting abortion rights is a key part of the argument for keeping the seat in Democratic hands.
Trone is also pointing to the stakes of November, making an electability argument about having the resources to defeat Hogan.
But here in Maryland, a state where Kromer estimates the Democratic primary electorate is about 40 to 45% Black, the primary isn鈥檛 as simple as coalition politics vs. money. Trone, for example, has his own support from Black women, including some prominent local leaders from Alsobrooks鈥� backyard who have appeared in his attack ads.
Asked if electing a Black woman to the Senate mattered to her, one Prince George鈥檚 County voter coming out of a Target in Bowie Monday night was frank.
鈥淣ot at this point. I, like, need a job done. There were times when it did. At this point, I鈥檓 voting for whoever I think is going to do the best job,鈥� the 49-year-old French teacher said, noting that would not be Alsobrooks because she was disappointed with her record as county executive.
鈥淚鈥檝e seen many buildings go up with nothing else,鈥� said the teacher, who requested anonymity for fear of retribution in the school system, which she said 鈥渉as crumbled.鈥�
But in a hint of the challenges that lie ahead for Democrats, she paused after saying she was leaning toward Trone 鈥� noting that she 鈥渨as very pleased with Hogan as a pandemic governor鈥� 鈥� then added, 鈥淗owever, I have to look at the long term.鈥�
A historic opportunity to elect a Black woman, but it鈥檚 not a motivator for everyone
The women who walked with Alsobrooks through the drizzle last Saturday 鈥� from her downtown Silver Spring campaign office to a local early voting location nearby, with a marching band alerting farmers market foragers along the way 鈥� easily rattled off their candidate鈥檚 accomplishments for schools and the local economy before they talked about her being a woman.
But it was an undeniable part of Alsobrooks鈥� appeal 鈥� when she talks about her experience as a domestic violence prosecutor, for example, or when she or her allies attack her businessman opponent for having donated to GOP governors who have since signed abortion restrictions. (He鈥檚 chalked those contributions up to business expenses and touted the millions he鈥檚 donated to Democrats.)
鈥淓lecting women is not just good for Maryland,鈥� Alsobrooks told supporters assembled outside her campaign office. 鈥淚t鈥檚 good for America to make sure that the voices of women are included at these tables as we鈥檙e making important decisions.鈥�
Ellen Malcolm, the founder of EMILY鈥檚 List 鈥� whose affiliated super PAC recently made a $2.5 million investment in the race 鈥� told the crowd, 鈥淲e are going to make history again,鈥� noting how the powerhouse Democratic group burst onto the scene by helping elevate Maryland鈥檚 Barbara Mikulski to the Senate in 1986.
The former senator has backed Alsobrooks, as have the Washington Post, Gov. Wes Moore and every other Democratic member of the state鈥檚 current congressional delegation, with the exceptions of one House member who backed Trone and of retiring Sen. Ben Cardin, who鈥檚 remaining neutral in the race to replace him.
Alsobrooks鈥� allies are looking at this seat as an opportunity not only to maintain the status quo of one Black woman in the Senate, but also to potentially grow the ranks. After California Rep. Barbara Lee failed to advance to the November election, attention turned to Delaware, where Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester is running for an open Senate seat, and, now, to Maryland.
Pamela Luckett, 67, of Silver Spring said Maryland should play a role in diversifying the chamber.
鈥淎s a leader in democracy across the country, it鈥檚 very important that we do that 鈥� with a qualified person,鈥� she added. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just about identity. She is qualified, and she is the most qualified candidate in that race.鈥�
But experience 鈥� and whose is more relevant 鈥� has become a flashpoint that鈥檚 also brought the conversation back to race.
Trone, first elected to Congress in 2018, leans into his voting record and argues that he鈥檒l be able to get 10 Republicans to sign on to legislation in the Senate to overcome a filibuster.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 what really matters is getting things accomplished, and not being beholden to any special interests,鈥� he said.
His campaign has taken heat, however, for an attack ad in which a local lawmaker said the Senate 鈥渋s not a place for training wheels.鈥� More than 750 Black women leaders wrote a letter saying Trone鈥檚 ads echo 鈥渢ones of misogyny and racism.鈥�
鈥淭his attempt to undermine Ms. Alsobrooks鈥� candidacy is deeply troubling and emblematic of the obstacles Black women face in political spheres,鈥� they wrote.
That comment was edited from the ad, but Trone himself told a , 鈥淭his job is not for someone on training wheels.鈥�
Alsobrooks hasn鈥檛 hesitated to call him out, trying to contrast their tones. 鈥淭hat kind of disparaging remark is what we鈥檝e seen too much of in Washington; people are sick of it,鈥� she told CNN last weekend. 鈥淎nd it shows also what is in his mind 鈥� that he has a very low opinion of women.鈥�
Asked about the 鈥渢raining wheels鈥� comment by CNN Tuesday night, Trone denied he had said it, pinning the words on the local lawmaker, but added, 鈥淔rankly, she doesn鈥檛 have the experience at the federal level.鈥�
And he has some powerful local Black women surrogates making that argument for him too.
鈥淵ou can鈥檛 learn this stuff overnight 鈥� you got to know this stuff on Capitol Hill,鈥� state Sen. Joanne Benson told the crowd at a Women for Trone event in Bowie Monday. 鈥淒o you understand the person who鈥檚 going on Capitol Hill has to deal with the likes of Donald Trump?鈥�
Speaker after speaker at the rally in Alsobrooks鈥� home county praised Trone鈥檚 hiring of formerly incarcerated people and his backing from the teachers union, for example.
His record, many Black women here said, trumped any potential history Alsobrooks might make.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not that simple, because it matters what you believe,鈥� said Prince George鈥檚 County councilmember Krystal Oriadha, who argued that playing identity politics was a GOP tactic her own party needed to beware of.
鈥淭hey elevate someone because they think because of identity politics, if you鈥檙e a woman, or you鈥檙e Black, you鈥檙e gonna forget the issues and you鈥檙e gonna be blind to if they actually align with what鈥檚 best for your community.鈥�
Self-funding, a badge of independence for some voters, turns off others
Trone 鈥� who鈥檚 also spent millions of his own money on his House campaigns 鈥� doesn鈥檛 go around talking about how much he鈥檚 spent, but his ability to self-fund is a big part of his pitch.
鈥淲e know all the good things that need to happen often don鈥檛 happen because of special interest money,鈥� he told an audience at the AFI Silver Theatre on Tuesday, arguing that he can stand up to the NRA and the pharmaceutical industry.
鈥淣ot accepting money from PACs, and special interests, I save about 30% of my time to have time instead to build connectivity,鈥� he added, touting his work across the aisle.
Trone鈥檚 supporters draw a distinction between his humble roots 鈥� he often talks about not having an indoor toilet when growing up 鈥� and politicians who have inherited their wealth.
鈥淟et鈥檚 be clear about this: He was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth,鈥� Benson told attendees at the Women for Trone rally, praising his rags-to-riches story and recounting how he鈥檇 written a $10,000 check for a scholarship fund she wanted to set up for her late sister.
Besides giving him an advertising and operational advantage, Trone also sees his money as a selling point to Democrats worried about holding this seat in November.
Alsobrooks hasn鈥檛 lacked resources 鈥� she had raised nearly $7.8 million by the end of the pre-primary reporting period on April 24. She鈥檚 risen to the fundraising challenge that鈥檚 often been a barrier to Black women in politics, said Glynda Carr, the president and CEO of Higher Heights for America, whose PAC works to elect Black women and is supporting Alsobrooks.
鈥淭he new barriers, though, if you follow the data, are self-financed candidates,鈥� Carr said.
But Alsobrooks鈥� supporters point out that Trone鈥檚 spending, while it has certainly gotten his message out, hasn鈥檛 put the race away for him.
And for some, his ability to fund is itself a turn-off.
Back at the pickle stand, Pruitt said: 鈥淲e don鈥檛 need another millionaire, billionaire in the Senate. I do feel kind of strongly about that.鈥�
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