PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, Md. — Maryland U.S. Senate candidate and Prince George’s county executive, Angela Alsobrooks, was back on the campaign trail Friday, and she was joined by vice president Kamala Harris at the Kentland Community Center in Landover, Maryland.
It was the first event for Alsobrooks since defeating Congressman David Trone in the primary.
On National Gun Violence Awareness Day, Alsobrooks is hoping to sway voters with her tough stance on gun violence.
"Gun violence has become the number one killer of children in the United State of America," Alsobrooks said. "Assault weapons are readily available and flooding to our state. Maryland overall has now become the place with the highest rate of out of state gun imports in the country."
With safety and crime top of mind for voters in the state, Alsobrooks reminded the crowd the path to a democratic senate majority runs through Maryland. Gov. Wes Moore, Sen. Chris Van Hollen and other democratic leaders joined her on stage.
"We have children that still walk through neighborhoods and communities that do not feel safe in a place that they call home," Gov. Moore said.
Alsobrooks also received a key endorsement Friday.
"Today, I proudly endorse Angela Alsobrooks for the United States Senate," Vice President Harris said.
Harris and Alsobrooks have known each other for over a decade. The vice president highlighted another deciding factor at the polls while addressing the crowd.
"When we win majorities in the United States Congress in November, Angela’s vote will help President Biden and me restore Roe v. Wade and reproductive freedom," Harris said.
Alsobrooks says her calls for universal background checks, and banning assault rifles clearly sets her apart from her opponent – former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan.
Hogan's campaign released the following statement:
“While Angela Alsobrooks is campaigning today, instead of just offering more platitudes, we urge her to tell voters how she will address the skyrocketing crime on her watch in Prince George’s County. After years of underfunding and deprioritizing public safety under her leadership, while crime is declining in other parts of the state, in Prince George’s County homicides are up over 50%, violent crime over 30%, and carjackings almost 600% while the clearance rate has collapsed. Governor Hogan has put forward a plan to address this out-of-control crime wave by funding law enforcement, taking repeat violent criminals off the streets, and getting guns out of the hands of violent criminals and the mentally ill—and Angela Alsobrooks has not.”
Data confirmed by the Prince George’s County Police department show total crime is down 13%, but violent crime is up 11%.