Democrat Angela Alsobrooks and Republican Larry Hogan will meet Thursday in the only scheduled debate in a U.S. Senate contest competitive enough to attract attention and heavyweight donors from both national parties.
In a state in which registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by more than 2-1, Alsobrooks enters the debate at Maryland Public Television in Owings Mills leading Hogan by 48% to 39%, according to a UMBC poll released Wednesday that surveyed likely Maryland voters late last month.
Analysts said the Prince George’s County executive’s advantage, while clearly not insurmountable given Hogan’s popularity and campaign resources, means her principal task in the debate is to avoid memorable gaffes.
Debate participants are like umpires. When they make news, it is usually because of a mistake.
“To me, the only thing that’s going to make this debate really stand out is if Alsobrooks has a big fail,” said Flavio Hickel, an assistant political science professor at Washington College on the Eastern Shore.