Dem
51
GOP
49
Given that Maryland is very blue (D+14), and given that it hasn't elected a Republican to the U.S. Senate since 1980, it's a given that the winner of the Democratic primary for the seat being vacated by Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) is going to be the Old Line State's next U.S. Senator. The choice facing Democratic voters got a little easier this weekend, as Montgomery County Councilman Will Jawando dropped out of the running.
Jawando was the first to enter the race, despite not having much name recognition. Since then, it's been an uphill battle for him. He's gotten virtually no endorsements (his highest-profile one was from Rep. Lauren Underwood, which would be more helpful if she didn't represent... Illinois), his fundraising has been anemic (less than $750,000 when both of his rivals have had eight-figure takes), and while there have been no public polls, the internal polls must be pretty bad. In any event, he's decided there's no lane for him, and so he's going to look for some other job to run for.
That leaves Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, who is Black and has most of the Democratic establishment behind her, and Rep. David Trone (D-MD), who is white and is wealthy enough to self-fund. They're both fairly lefty, so the election will likely be decided by demographics and by which commodity is more valuable: the machine or the money. (Z)