The race between Democratic Senate candidates Angela Alsobrooks and David Trone appears closer than ever days before primary election day, according to a new poll from Emerson College.
The poll, released Thursday, had Prince George’s County Executive Alsobrooks with 42% and Rep. Trone with 41% of Democratic voters’ support. The margin of error for the poll was 2.9 percentage points, leaving the two candidates statistically tied.
Both Democratic candidates polled better in hypothetical general election against former Gov. Larry Hogan. Trone leads Hogan by 11 percentage points and Alsobrooks leads by 10 percentage points.
When Emerson College first polled voters in February, Alsobrooks trailed Trone by 15 percentage points. Their initial polls also showed Hogan winning against either candidate in the November election.
One statistic that sets the two leading Democrats apart is their campaign spending records.
David Trone’s team has spent over $51 million and the Alsobrooks team has spent over $5 million on their respective campaigns, according to the latest Federal Election Commission data. Hogan’s campaign has spent around $1 million.
The funding disparities have become a point of widespread media coverage in the weeks leading up to the election. Trone’s campaign spending jumped by over $10 million in April.
Trone, a wealthy businessman and member of the House of Representatives, self-funds his campaign. His campaign says this is to ensure the candidate is independent from special-interests.
Alsobrooks runs a grassroots campaign, with donations usually from individuals and political action committees.
The Maryland primary, which includes the Senate nomination, is on May 14. Polling places in the county will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
