Democrat Angela Alsobrooks has a double-digit lead over former Gov. Larry Hogan (R) in Maryland's Senate race, according to the first poll released since the state's primary earlier this month.
A Public Policy Polling (PPP) survey found that 45 percent of Marylanders support Alsobrooks, while 34 percent support Hogan and 5 percent support another candidate. In the choice between Alsobrooks and Hogan alone, the Democrat maintained a slightly smaller 8 point lead, 48 percent to 40 percent.
PPP, a firm affiliated with the Democratic Party, independently conducted the poll, according to a company spokesperson.
The Maryland Senate race opened up after Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) announced that he would be stepping down in early May, but it gained national attention after Hogan, the popular former governor, announced his bid and raised GOP hopes of flipping the seat.
Hogan had flirted with a presidential run, but announced he would not run for president in March. Alsobrooks, the Prince George's County executive, edged out Rep. David Trone (D-Md.) in a close race for the Democratic nomination amid a record-setting spending spree from the congressman.
According to the poll, Hogan edges out Alsobrooks in approval rating, with 50 percent to her 43 percent. However, her net favorability is higher at 27 points, as opposed to Hogan’s 17 point margin.
Though Former President Trump has endorsed Hogan, the former governor has alienated much of the ex-president's base with his criticism of Trump. Hogan's camp responded to Trump's endorsement with an ad touting his political independence.
In the poll, 26 percent of Republicans surveyed had an unfavorable view of Hogan.
Still, many Republicans have thrown support behind his candidacy in hopes of securing a majority in the Senate. Hogan was quietly recruited to run for the seat by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).
Despite trailing Alsobrooks overall, Hogan leads in support among Maryland independents with 42 percent of the vote, and has a 15 percent share of Democrats. According to the latest voter registration data out of the state, individuals unaffiliated with a party make up approximately 21 percent of the eligible electorate.
A The Hill/Emerson poll conducted ahead of the Maryland primary on May 14 similarly projected Alsobrooks with a 10 point lead over Hogan.
The PPP poll was conducted among 635 registered Maryland voters June 19-20. The margin of error for the total sample is 3.9 percentage points.
