Poll shows Trone leads Alsobrooks

But Hogan still favored over both

David Trone, a multimillionaire who has spent more than $40 million in Maryland’s U.S. Senate race, has opened a wide gap between himself and Angela Alsobrooks for the Democratic nomination, a new poll from The Baltimore Sun, FOX45 and the University of Baltimore found.

But either would lose to former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan in the general election if it were held now, according to the poll’s sample of nearly 1,300 likely voters. Hogan’s popularity suggests Maryland, where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by more than 2-to-1, will be a battleground in the national parties’ push to win a majority in the narrowly divided Senate.

Trone, co-founder of the chain of Total Wine & More stores, leads Alsobrooks, the second-term Prince George’s County executive, 48% to 29% in the April 7-10 poll of 600 likely Democratic primary voters.

“He’s benefiting from name recognition and television spending,” said Steve Raabe, owner of OpinionWorks of Annapolis, which conducted the poll. “I think it would be very hard for her to close this gap, but she can.”

That’s because, the poll said, only 42% of the Democratic primary voters say they have firmly made up their mind.

“Time is short, but she could still close this,”

Raabe said of Alsobrooks.

Trone, who has emphasized protecting Social Security and Medicare during his three terms in the U.S. House, held a particularly large advantage — 60% to 27% — among senior citizens, according to the poll’s Democratic primary voters.

Trone’s overall lead over Alsobrooks dropped to 50% to 38% when Democratic primary respondents were asked to choose only between those two. Fields tend to narrow — there were eight candidates in the survey who collected 2% or less — as an election draws near.

Trone, whose district includes Frederick County and Western Maryland, and Alsobrooks each want to succeed Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin, who will retire when his term ends in January.