Alsobrooks widens lead over Hogan in Maryland Senate race: Poll

Democrat Angela Alsobrooks leads her competitors in the Maryland Senate race, according to a poll released Thursday.

The Washington Post and University of Maryland (UMD) study found Alsobrooks leading by 12 percentage points among likely voters, with 52 percent supporting her compared to 40 percent supporting Republican opponent Larry Hogan, the state’s former governor.

Alsobrooks is up 1 percentage point compared to last month’s Post-UMD poll.

Hogan spent two terms as governor of the Free State, and 7 in 10 registered voters remember him fondly. However, 49 percent of voters believe if elected he would usher in Republican policies whereas 38 percent believe he would act independently.

Over the past seven months, Hogan’s favorability rating has dropped 13 percentage points from polling conducted in March.

“People can appreciate the work he did as governor but just not see him as the strongest fit for this particular job,” Michael Hanmer, a professor and director of the University of Maryland’s Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement, told The Post.

Voters preferred Hogan’s leadership on the economy, 45 percent to Alsobrooks 36 percent; on crime and safety, 43 percent to her 38 percent; and on taxes, 44 percent to 38 percent.

However, voters sided with Alsobrooks on abortion, 53 percent to the Republican's 26 percent, and on health care, with 46 percent to Hogan's 35 percent.

Support also varies by voters' locations. Those residing near the Eastern Shore and in southern Maryland are more in favor of Hogan. In those areas, he leads Alsobrooks by 56 percent to her 36 percent while maintaining a 6 point lead in Baltimore City.

Alsobrooks is topping Hogan in Baltimore, 77 percent to 18 percent; in Prince George’s County, where she serves as county executive, 76 percent to his 15 percent; and in Montgomery County with 65 percent of voter support compared to Hogan’s 29 percent.

The poll was conducted Oct. 17-22 with 1,000 registered voters. Fifty-nine percent of interviews were reached by live callers to cellphones, 18 percent on landlines, and 23 percent were completed online via a text invitation.

Registered voters and likely voter results have a margin of error of 3.6 percentage points.