ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — For years, U.S. Senate races in deep blue Maryland have often been a rout for established Democratic incumbents against little-known and underfunded Republicans, without much chance of an upset or control of the chamber that might were at stake.

That's not the case in this year's race for an open U.S. Senate seat in Maryland.

Larry Hogan, a popular Republican who won two terms as governor, has been the GOP's most competitive candidate in years in the race to replace outgoing Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin. Still, he faces a tough fight against Democrat Angela Alsobrooks, the Prince George's County executive who could make history as the state's first black U.S. senator in a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans 2-1.

The stakes are unusually high for a Maryland race involving a Republican who won significant Democratic support in his 2014 and 2018 gubernatorial victories. Hogan is only the second Republican in Maryland history to be re-elected governor.

Democrats currently hold a 51-49 advantage in the Senate, including independent senators who caucus with Democrats. And Democrats must defend 23 of the 33 Senate seats up for vote statewide this November.

Hogan unexpectedly won the governor's office by running on fiscal grounds and fighting tax increases, and he boosted his popularity in a blue state by, among other things, becoming one of former President Donald Trump's harshest critics in the Republican Party . Hogan did not vote for Trump in 2016 or 2020, instead voting for write-in candidates, notably his father, a former Maryland congressman in 2016, and former President Ronald Reagan in 2020. This year, Hogan said he had his vote for president left empty.

He has campaigned for the Senate by underscoring his willingness to put country over party, work across party lines and provide an independent voice in partisan Washington.

“We can only make a difference if we find strong, independent leaders who are willing to stand up to both parties and try to bring about common-sense bipartisan solutions, and that is exactly what I did for eight years as governor,” Hogan said during an October debate on Maryland Public Television.

Dale Schulz, a Republican who voted for Hogan on Tuesday, said he appreciated the former governor's independence.

“I thought he did a really good job as governor and I like the idea that I think he will be independent and try to work on both sides, whereas I think Dame Alsobrooks would have just been a rubber stamp. “for the Democrats,” said Schulz, a 79-year-old Annapolis resident.

Alsobrooks voters frequently mentioned the importance of fending off a challenge from the popular Republican to keep the seat blue and potentially keep control of the Senate at stake.

“I don’t want the Senate to go Republican,” said Donald Huber, a 72-year-old Democrat who voted in Annapolis on Tuesday. “It's that simple. I don't want that to change.”

Alsobrooks has pointed to Hogan's record as governor, particularly some high-profile vetoes of priority legislation passed by the Democrat-controlled Maryland General Assembly. She has also highlighted that he was recruited to run for Senate by Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell, a longtime Republican Senate leader, in hopes of winning back the chamber.

“The Republican Party has declared war on women’s reproductive freedoms,” Alsobrooks said in the debate. “We recognize that this party of chaos and division led by Donald Trump cannot lead our country and is also having serious consequences for Marylanders.”

Abortion was a key issue in a campaign that came at the same time as voters in Maryland and eight other states consider a constitutional amendment to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade in 2022.

Alsobrooks has made abortion rights a priority in her campaign and said one of her first actions as a senator would be to promote legislation to codify Roe into federal law. Hogan also says he would co-sponsor such legislation, but Alsobrooks is quick to point out a veto by Hogan when he was governor of a bill in Maryland that would expand access to abortion in 2022.

“The fact is that the former governor had no opportunity to advocate for the women of Maryland,” Alsobrooks said. “He vetoed legislation on abortion care. He doubled down and refused to release funding for training abortion providers. That was just two years ago.”

The measure lifted a restriction that only doctors could perform abortions in the state. The Democratic-controlled Legislature overrode the veto, and the bill allows nurses, midwives and physician assistants to provide care. Hogan says Alsobrooks misrepresented his position. He says he vetoed the bill out of concern for women's health because the measure allowed health care providers who are not doctors to perform abortions.

While a Republican hasn't won a Senate race in Maryland in more than 40 years, Hogan enjoys a high profile. In the last two U.S. Senate elections in Maryland, the Democratic candidate won by more than 30 percentage points against lesser-known candidates.

But Hogan supporters point to Hogan's accomplishments during his eight years as governor, and many say they liked what they saw.

“I feel like he's served us well in the past and I feel like he's really willing to work on both sides, which is important, so I hope he wins,” Jennifer said Jones, a 56-year-old Republican living on Kent Island on the Chesapeake Bay, after casting her vote for Hogan in early voting.

Supporters of Alsobrooks noted that she would bring more diversity to the Senate, and they said she would be better able to address the state's and nation's problems.

“Angela is really down to earth and she has real solutions, real answers to the real problems, and I feel like Hogan doesn't have that,” said Zack Buster, a 22-year-old Democrat from Glen Burnie who voted during the early voting period for Alsobrooks.

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