Maryland’s delegation to the Democratic National Convention was given particular prominence last week during the four-day convening, as both Prince George’s County Executive and Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Angela Alsobrooks and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) gave speeches seen by millions across the globe, raising their national profiles.
Alsobrooks is in a competitive statewide election for partisan control of the Senate against former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R), who was personally recruited by Sen. Mitch McConell (R-Ky.) for the seat.
Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, was an early endorser of Alsobrooks, and has made several stops in the DMV.
Harris and President Joe Biden held a rally at Prince George’s Community College on Aug. 15 to spotlight their efforts to reduce prescription drug costs, a plan that will save consumers and taxpayers several billion dollars, and to galvanize enthusiasm for the Democratic ticket.
“I’ve always been inspired by women like my grandmother – women who imagine a better future, and then have the grit to make it a reality. One of those women is a friend, a mentor, and a role model. That woman is Kamala Harris,” said Alsobrooks during her keynote address at the DNC.
Alsobrooks emphasized Harris is about progress.
“We stand with Kamala Harris because we as a country are not going back. For the ancestors who sat at lunch counters and made sure that we all had the right to vote, we are not going back. For the mamas and grandmamas who marched to make sure that women could control our own bodies, we are not going back. For the parents who work from can’t-see in the morning until can’t-see at night not so that they will have a better future but their children will have a better future, we are not going back,” Alsobrooks declared.
The Prince George’s County Executive first attended the DNC in 1992 as an intern with the Congressional Black Caucus. During this year’s festivities, she held a Chicago fundraiser with former U.S. Senator Carol Moseley Braun and Delaware’s Democratic nominee for Senate, Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester.
Moseley Braun noted Alsobrooks’ strength.
“People don’t understand how much work goes into representing a whole state,” said Moseley Braun. “You’ve got to reconcile all these competing interests. It’s a big job, but I think you’re up to it.”
Alsobrooks racked up more endorsements during August from national organizations including the Asian American Action Fund, People for the American Way, and the Maryland affiliates of Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA). Her campaign schedule during August has included a scholarship ceremony in East Baltimore, a meet and greet at the National Golf Club in Fort Washington, and a tour of the Eastern Shore. Following the DNC’s conclusion, Alsobrooks held a welcome home event at Denizens Brewing Company in Riverdale Park on Aug. 23.
Moore read the roll call vote for Maryland’s Delegates with the backing of “Respect” by Aretha Franklin.
“We are Maryland, and we represent Marylanders past and present who’ve contributed to America’s greatness. We are the birthplace of Harriet Tubman, Thurgood Marshall, and Frederick Douglass,” said the governor. “We are the place where soldiers defended our freedoms in Baltimore and Antietam, and the home to thousands of veterans. This community of patriots is proud to cast our votes for the next President of the United States: Kamala Harris!”
Less than a week before speaking at the DNC, attendees chanted “48!” as he spoke during the rally in Prince George’s: a clear sign of support for the young governor’s potential future in national politics.
“My training taught me you never learn anything about anybody when times are easy,” Moore said during his keynote speech at the DNC, seen by millions of viewers. “You learn about them when times are hard. And America: Kamala Harris is the right one to lead us in this moment.”