Trone outspends Alsobrooks by 10-1 in contest awash in money
Maryland Democrat and U.S. Rep. David Trone outspent Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks by a 10-1 ratio over the last year, drawing on his personal wealth in their U.S. Senate primary contest for the seat of the retiring Sen. Ben Cardin, according to the candidates’ Federal Election Commission reports.
On the Republican side, former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan on Monday reported raising more than $3 million since announcing his Senate candidacy in February. Hogan was encouraged to run by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and the former two-term governor’s report — covering the first quarter of this year — included a $52,800 contribution from the National Republican Senatorial Committee on March 8 and many donations from the political action committees of GOP senators.
Trone, 68, has spent $41.6 million since launching his campaign last May and had $998,909 on hand as of March 31, the report he filed Monday shows.
According to the FEC, Trone’s spending ranks third nationally in U.S. Senate campaigns, behind only Democrat Adam Schiff ($51.3 million) and Republican Ted Cruz ($42 million). Schiff is running in California and Cruz in Texas — states whose populations dwarf Maryland’s and require large media buys because they have so many television markets.
Trone has lent his campaign $41.7 million over the last year and raised an additional $643,199. He is the co-founder of the Total Wine & More retail chain and represents Frederick County and Western Maryland in the U.S. House.
Alsobrooks, 53, reported spending $3.96 million in the last year and had $3.2 million left as of March 31. She has collected $7.1 million, including $2.1 million raised during the first quarter of 2024.
Her donors included Democratic Rep. Steny Hoyer of Southern Maryland, who is the former House majority leader ($4,000); A Love Supreme PAC, which is affiliated with Florida Democratic Rep. Maxwell Frost ($1,000); and Democratic Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock ($2,000).
Trone has a doubledigit lead over Alsobrooks, according to a new poll from The Baltimore Sun, FOX45 and the University of Baltimore.
Trone was elected to Congress in 2018 after spending more than $15 million on that campaign. He also paid for his reelection campaigns — including his 2022 victory over Republican state Del. Neil Parrott — almost entirely with millions of dollars he loaned those efforts.
Trone has never pursued statewide office before and his wealth has allowed him to blanket the state with ads introducing himself to voters. The amount of his self-funding is extraordinarily high, even compared to other campaigns for the Senate, which often attracts wealthy candidates.
“You can definitely tell in the polling numbers that his television is having an impact,” said Steve Raabe, owner of OpinionWorks of Annapolis, which conducted the April 7-10 poll. “There’s definitely a name recognition factor that’s going on on his behalf.”
In a statement, Alsobrooks spokesperson Gina Ford called the race “a dead heat” despite Trone’s large financial advantage due to self-funding.
“That fact alone speaks to the strength of her candidacy, her impressive grassroots movement, and the genuine excitement around her as we go into this final month,” Ford said.
Trone’s campaign said in a statement that he is “the only candidate with the message and resources to take on Larry Hogan in November.”
Raabe said Alsobrooks could still make inroads — if she can become better known — because the poll shows that only 42% of the Democratic primary voters say that they’ve firmly made up their minds on their candidate.
Alsobrooks, who is also making her first statewide run, has said Trone “is trying to buy” the Senate seat. Trone counters that his financial resources allow him independence from special interests.
In an fundraising appeal Tuesday, Alsobrooks emailed that her campaign is “made up of thousands of supporters chipping in what they can, when they can — and I like it that way.”.
The six-year term of Cardin, 80, ends in January. He said in May that he would not seek a fourth term.
Cardin has not endorsed a candidate to succeed him. His Maryland Senate colleague, Democrat Chris Van Hollen, has endorsed Alsobrooks, as have Gov. Wes Moore, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, U.S. Rep. Kweisi Mfume of Baltimore and many other elected officials. Trone has been endorsed by House Democratic leaders Hakeem Jeffries and Katherine Clark, among other lawmakers, and the Maryland State Education Association.
Hogan, 67, finished his second four-year term as governor in January 2023. Maryland limits governors to two terms.
According to his campaign and FEC reports, Hogan raised more than $3 million through three accounts: Hogan for Maryland, his principal committee; the Hogan Victory Fund, a “pass-through” account that can transfer donations to the main fund; and Better Path Forward, a political action committee established before Hogan filed to run.
Hogan’s donors included the Republican Majority Fund, a PAC affiliated with Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton ($10,000); former casino mogul Steve Wynn, who was assessed a $10 million fine last year by the Nevada Gaming Commission following claims of workplace sexual misconduct ($11,600); and the PAC of John Bolton, who was national security advisor for Donald Trump and has since become a prominent critic of the Republican former president ($10,000).