CHESTER, Md. – Republican Jon Michael hasn't always been a fan of Larry Hogan, who has been one of the GOP's sharpest critics of Donald Trump, but he voted for Hogan for U.S. Senate. Democrat Diane Stokes crossed party lines to vote for Hogan to be Maryland's governor, but she's not supporting him this time.
Both are quick to point out the high stakes in the race between Hogan and Democrat Angela Alsobrooks in a deeply blue state.
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As early voting began on a breezy autumn day last week, Marylanders began sorting through a swirl of conflicting sentiment. On the Eastern Shore, a rural part of the state that is more conservative than Maryland's larger population centers, some Trump-loyal Republicans wrestled with their unease about Hogan, while others voted for him with enthusiasm. On the other side of the Chesapeake Bay, some Democrats in Annapolis weighed their fondness for Hogan against their fears of contributing to a Republican Senate majority.
Michael, who describes himself as a far-right voter, was unhappy about Hogan's write-in vote of former President Ronald Reagan instead of Trump for president in 2020. He didn't agree with Hogan's COVID-19 policies, either. But Michael said he believes Hogan is good for Maryland overall, especially compared to the alternative.
“I think the Republican Party needs to be in power," Michael, 54, said at an early voting center on Kent Island on the bay, a gateway to the Eastern Shore. "While I’m not a fan of Larry Hogan in all respects, he’s our best option.”
On the other side of the Chesapeake, Democrats in the state capital of Annapolis were keenly aware of how important the Senate race is this year. While a Republican hasn't won a Senate seat in Maryland in more than 40 years, Hogan was a popular governor who won enough Democratic votes to prevail in statewide races in 2014 and 2018.
On Monday, some Democrats who supported Hogan for governor attended a news conference with Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat, to emphasize how it's different this time.
“Many of my friends and I — many of whom did vote for Larry Hogan for governor — are deeply concerned about the Senate majority," said Stokes, of Hyattsville. "Kamala Harris needs Maryland to deliver a Senate majority, and that’s exactly what we want to do.”
The potential for the race to determine Senate control has weighed heavily on the minds of many voters, who don't see this much in a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans 2-1.
Democrats currently hold a 51-49 Senate advantage, including independent senators who caucus with Democrats. And Democrats are defending 23 of the 33 Senate seats on the ballot around the country this November.
If Hogan wins Maryland’s open Senate seat, Republicans will have a clear path to a majority.
Both major parties have invested heavily in advertising on the race, according to AdImpact, which tracks campaign spending — with neither side establishing a clear advantage. Between the May 14 primaries and Tuesday, the two campaigns and partisan groups supporting them had spent more than $35 million apiece on the race, data shows, with roughly two-thirds coming from outside groups.
Democrat Paula Dickerson, 70, said she gave Hogan a lot of thought. The stakes of Senate control, however, made it too hard for her to support him.
“It did, because without the Senate going in the Democratic way, it would change policy," Dickerson said after voting for Alsobrooks and Vice President Kamala Harris for president on Kent Island. "It would make it so much harder for the candidate on the top.”
Republican Liza Hamill said she voted for Hogan, because she believes he was the best governor Maryland has had for “a very, very long time.” Hamill, who also voted for Trump, said Hogan's criticism of the former president didn't bother her.
“Larry Hogan was saying the truth: Donald Trump is an ass," Hamill, who is 68, said after voting on Kent Island. "He does stupid things, and he says stupid things, but his overall objective is much better for our country in my opinion than the Democratic Party.”
About 40 miles away, in the suburbs of the nation's capital in Prince George's County, Bonnie Hadley was volunteering at a phone bank for Alsobrooks, after voting for her and Harris on Maryland's first day of early voting. The 69-year-old said she was volunteering for a political campaign for the first time ever because she believes so much is riding on this election, including democracy itself.
“In my lifetime, it’s the most important election," Hadley said, noting that Barack Obama's 2008 victory also was huge. "But this is even more important to me, because democracy is so much at risk at this point.”
Alsobrooks, chief executive of majority-Black Prince George’s County, would be Maryland’s first Black senator. Making a campaign stop with retiring Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin in her home county last week, she noted palpable energy at early voting centers.
“They’re fired up about, many of them, electing a woman to the Senate, and some of them just feel that I represent their values, but it’s also keeping the Senate blue,” Alsobrooks said.
At the University of Maryland, College Park, the state's flagship university, students gathered to hear Alsobrooks at a campaign stop.
Peyton McDonald, a 19-year-old sophomore from Cumberland in western Maryland, said she planned to vote by mail for Alsobrooks.
“I think having a Black woman senator from the state of Maryland would be a good representation for the state, and I think she’s done good work as the Prince George’s county executive that we’ve been able to see being students in Prince George's County," McDonald said.
About 20 miles away in Millersville, Hogan told supporters he's used to being an underdog. He noted that he was behind in polls when he won his first race for governor.
“You know, they say lightning can’t strike twice. We’re going to make lightning strike three times,” Hogan told a cheering crowd.
Republican Virginia Umberger, 72, who was in the audience, said she'd be voting for him. She cited Hogan's leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and his willingness to be independent.
“I love that he stands up to anyone that he doesn’t agree with, because he’s more about principle than about getting along," Umberger said.
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AP's Leah Askarinam of the Decision Desk in Washington contributed to this report.