Fresh off a general election victory against former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R), U.S. Sen.-elect Angela Alsobrooks (D), resigned on Dec. 2 from the Office of the Prince George’s County Executive, and will be sworn into Congress’ upper chamber on Jan. 3.
Chief Administrative Officer Tara Jackson will serve as the county executive until an upcoming special election is certified.
“Thank you for your trust and partnership as we worked to build a stronger, united Prince George’s,” said Alsobrooks in a statement. “Serving the residents of this county has been the honor of my lifetime, and I am deeply proud of all we have accomplished together.”
Alsobrooks has been a barrier-breaking leader. She was the first woman to serve both as Prince George’s state’s attorney and as county executive. Now, Alsobrooks will be the first Black senator to represent Maryland.
“I want to thank Angela Alsobrooks for her dedicated service to the people of Prince George’s County for the past six years as county executive. Angela worked tirelessly to make Prince George’s County a safer, stronger place to call home: we’re deeply grateful for her effort and for the results she achieved,” said Gov. Wes Moore (D), who endorsed Alsborooks early in her race.
Moore, who Alsobrooks also endorsed in his successful quest to become Maryland’s first Black governor, now has a close supporter in the U.S. Senate.
“We look forward to continuing our work together to uplift Maryland families, protect fundamental freedoms, and build a brighter future for our state in her new role as U.S. senator, as we welcome the opportunity to continue to serve the people of Prince George’s County alongside acting County Executive Tara Jackson,” Moore said.
Alsobrooks’ leadership is often defined by new housing development and stewarding the county through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Even Hogan, her former opponent, frequently praised Alsobrooks during her tenure as county executive.
“I want to just thank the county executive for her incredible leadership. This really is her vision that brings us all together here today,” said Hogan during a joint press conference alongside Alsobrooks in 2022. “I want to sincerely thank you, Madam County Executive, for the incredible partnership that we’ve had through the entire time that you’ve been county executive. I want to say you’re doing a great job.”
For the first time in American history, two Black women will serve in the United States Senate concurrently: Alsobrooks and Delaware’s Sen.-elect Lisa Blunt Rochester.
Legislators and County residents were quick to post thanks and appreciation for the work that Alsobrooks has done to move Prince George’s forward.
“Thank you County Executive Alsobrooks for your service to our beloved county,” said Delegate Jeffrie Long in a social media post.
Tonya Sweat, who ran for county executive in 2022 against Alsobrooks and plans to seek the seat in the upcoming special election, also praised the senator-elect for her leadership.
“Democracy wins today,” said Sweat.
Executive Vacancy Puts Special Election On County Minds
As Alsobrooks resigned prior to the appointment deadline, there will be a special election to replace her for the remainder of her term.
This election must be held more than 35, but less than 90, days after the vacancy was announced and could be scheduled on any Tuesday between Jan. 7 to March 4. The general election could be scheduled anytime between March 18 and May 6.
Some of the interested candidates include State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy (D), County Council Chair Jolene Ivey (D), former County Executive Rushern Baker (D), and County Council At-Large Calvin Hawkins (D). Treasurer Dereck E. Davis (D), who some have cited as a potential candidate, has dissuaded those rumors in recent days.
Baker was seen in a meeting with former staffer LaVonn Reedy Thomas, who was active in calling for Alsobrooks’ resignation to ensure that voters would have a say in selecting the next county executive.
Recent polling has shown that Braveboy and Ivey have an early lead; 46% of poll respondents view Braveboy favorably, while 39% are in support of Ivey.
“If a vacancy as County Executive for Prince George’s County becomes available, I will seek to fill the seat,” Braveboy said in a statement earlier this year. “I love this county. I grew up here, and I understand the needs of Prince Georgians because I am one.”
She first announced her intention to run during the 2023 Black Caucus weekend and updated her social media to “Braveboy 4 Exec” shortly after Alsobrooks’ resignation was announced.
Ivey won the special election to replace former Council member Mel Franklin (D) and she made her interest in the county executive seat known after winning that race.
“Prince George’s County is at a crossroads. The next county executive must tackle the housing affordability crisis, improve our schools, support our businesses, and work with the community and police to reduce crime” read the Dec. 2 campaign announcement for Ivey.
What’s Next for Prince George’s; Alsobrooks Sets Sights on Protecting Maryland’s Future
Alsobrooks is being elevated to the Senate amid contentious and uncertain times for Prince George’s County, the state and nation.
Republican control of all three branches of government will accelerate the implementation of the Trump administration’s agenda, which includes plans and policies that could be detrimental to Prince Georgians and people nationwide, such as: cutting Medicare and Medicaid, reducing protections for workers and consumers, and significantly reducing federal spending.
Alsobrooks is poised to fight back on behalf of Marylanders, especially federal workers.
She ran on a platform of supporting abortion rights, promoting diplomatic foreign policies, lowering the rising cost of living and fighting President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed nominations to the Supreme Court. Trump’s embrace of authoritarians abroad and his support for tariffs on international trade will endanger the foreign relations and economic goals she discussed during her campaign.
She has also expressed her support for expanding the Supreme Court and setting term limits — likely to become a more salient issue as Trump expands the conservative majority on the nation’s highest court.
Further, the state and Prince George’s County budgets are both in enormous deficits, and Trump’s early policy pronouncements would only worsen that issue.
While Maryland Democrats roundly celebrated the selection of Greenbelt for the new FBI headquarters, Trump has called to keep the agency in D.C. for years.
Kush Patel, who Trump intends to nominate to lead the Federal Bureau of Investigation, has called for shuttering the D.C.-based headquarters of the FBI and relocating agents around the country.
Maryland is home to over 140,000 federal workers, the fourth-most of all states.
One of the biggest issues on the minds of Prince Georgians is the worry that federal workers will be fired, reassigned, or forced to relocate to other parts of the country.
Ottis Johnson Jr., vice president of American Federation of Government Employees District 14, warned that cuts to the federal workforce would hurt average Americans who rely on programs including Social Security and veteran healthcare.
“You can’t run the United States government the same way that you run Twitter,” said Johnson. “We represent over 800,000 federal workers, and we can’t remove 80% and still expect to be able to serve the American people with the same proficiency and knowledge that they have right now.”