Both Angela Alsobrooks and Larry Hogan pledged their support to combat antisemitism in local schools and continue sending military aid to Israel ahead of the Maryland Senate election.
Prince George’s County Executive Alsobrooks is ahead of the former Maryland governor with a nearly double-digit lead, according to an aggregate of Maryland polls compiled by Decision Desk HQ and The Hill.
Maryland’s next senator will vote on funding decisions that would benefit Israel’s defense, and may contribute to shaping foreign policy depending on their committee assignments. Here’s how the candidates feel about issues pertinent to the Jewish community.
Israel
Although both candidates have spoken in support of Israel’s “right to defend itself” and the importance of strengthening the U.S.-Israel relationship, some believe that Hogan takes a stronger approach in favor of Israel.
“The relationship between Israel and the U.S. is long-standing, and it’s important where we have not only shared values, but shared interests as well,” Alsobrooks told the Baltimore Jewish Times. “So I’ll continue to protect the relationship between the U.S. and Israel, and to make sure that as an ally, we not only support Israel’s right to defend itself, but also are there to make sure that we’re helping them to have the means to do so.”
“I support aid to Israel,” Alsobrooks told the Baltimore Jewish Times in an interview, a sentiment she also expressed in a written statement on Oct. 7.
“In the Senate, I will continue my support for the US-Israel alliance and providing Israel with the assistance it needs for its security against Iran and Iran-backed terrorists, including Hamas and Hezbollah,” she wrote in the statement, adding that she supports a two-state solution.
Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) endorsed Alsobrooks, in part because she is “unequivocal in her support for the US-Israel relationship,” Cardin said in a July 24 press release.
“She has made it clear that she will stand with our allies in Israel and we share a vision for a two-state solution that leads us towards lasting peace in the region,” Cardin said in the statement. “She is thoughtful and understands the long standing importance of bipartisan support for Israel.”
Alsobrooks was endorsed by Democratic Majority for Israel, a pro-Israel advocacy group, according to a Sept. 10 press release. She has also been endorsed by J Street, a liberal Zionist advocacy group that supports a two-state solution.
In a Washington Post Maryland Democratic Senate primary Q&A, Alsobrooks said she does not support an Israeli invasion of Rafah and that she “agree[s] with President Biden if [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu does not change course, that the U.S. will need to withhold offensive weaponry.”
Hogan said support for “such an extreme policy” is “dangerous” and making aid to Israel conditional shows “weakness,” possibly making it more likely that the U.S. gets roped into the war.
Hogan spoke to the importance of sending aid to Israel, referencing his former actions as governor.
“I demanded that Congress get back to work right now so they can provide more additional support for Israel,” Hogan said in a phone interview. “And I’ll continue to stand up and fund support to the [Israeli] military and whatever else we can do for our greatest ally.”
He added that he was the first governor to sign an executive order outlawing the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement in Maryland — in October 2017, Hogan signed an order that prohibits the state from doing business with companies engaged in a boycott of Israel.
On Oct. 2, Hogan urged rapid congressional support to aid Israel’s security during his remarks at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America ahead of the one-year anniversary of Oct. 7.
“They have a right to exist and to defend themselves,” Hogan said of Israel. “I’m a big believer in peace through strength, and that America needs to stand up for our allies and stand up to our enemies.”
Hogan was endorsed by the Republican Jewish Coalition, a group that “fully” backs a “pro-Israel foreign policy.”
Combating Antisemitism
Both candidates want to act against the rise in antisemitism in local schools by enlisting the help of governmental leaders.
Alsobrooks said if she is elected, she will make sure that the federal, state and local government ensures “adequate protection against antisemitism.”
She has met with various Jewish leaders across Maryland and listened to Jewish students in Montgomery County discuss their experiences of antisemitism.
“I don’t think hate should be a normal part of your experience,” Alsobrooks told a student at the discussion.
At a roundtable with Jewish leaders in Baltimore in June, one topic of discussion was the harassment faced by members of the local Jewish and Muslim communities. Alsobrooks shared her experience of having one of her campaign signs vandalized that morning with the word “KKK” and a crosshairs drawn on her forehead.
She said she has always seen the Black and Jewish communities as allies and that she believes “all people should live in a place where their lives are protected.”
Hogan said he has been focused on combating antisemitism since he became Maryland’s governor at the start of 2015: “Hate has no place in Maryland.”
He added that he has provided grants to local synagogues, community centers and Jewish day schools to ensure their safety.
“We’ve got to stand up to this hatred,” Hogan said. “We’ve seen a 400% rise in antisemitism. I obviously spoke out against all the hate speech right after the horrific experience of Oct. 7.”
In October 2023, Hogan announced that he was withdrawing his offer to participate in two fellowships at Harvard University after the university administration’s handling of controversy due to the Israel-Hamas war — he said Harvard failed to “immediately and forcefully denounce the antisemitic vitriol,” referring to the statement signed by more than 30 student groups that blamed Israel for the Oct. 7 attack.
