Democrat Angela Alsobrooks won Maryland’s Senate race, beating out former Governor Larry Hogan, a Republican, with 53.2% of the vote.

Alsobrooks’s campaign focused on protecting abortion rights and curbing gun violence which was in line with other Democrats across the country.

Election season is a crucial and controversial time in the US. The main focus of most voters and the media is on the presidential race, but the Congressional races are also important in determining the direction of the federal government. The House of Representatives and the Senate create laws and work with the president to create and implement policies that affect the lives of all Americans.

This was an intriguing election that had the chance to impact which party had the Senate majority. With former President Donald Trump winning the presidential election, Vice President-elect JD Vance would have cast the tie-breaking vote in the event of a 50-50 result, so every seat counted for the Democrats.

The tight race for Maryland’s historically Democratic seat was unpredictable due to Hogan’s popularity amongst Marylanders. The last Republican senator from Maryland was Charles Mathias in 1987.

“I think people were very satisfied with Governor Larry Hogan and are very interested in him becoming a senator,” senior Andy Marks said. “That has made what would be a solid blue Senate seat a competitive seat.”

Hogan, who served as governor for two terms, was reelected by more than 10% in the 2018 midterm election.

Although Republicans took the majority by flipping seats in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Montana, Alsobrooks’s victory will keep Maryland’s seat blue as she succeeds fellow Democrat Ben Cardin..

“I anticipated Republicans would retake the Senate majority considering polling and survey data across the nation,” AP Government teacher Tobias Meier said. “Alsobrooks will join the Democrats and I am excited to see what she has to offer to the party and her constituency.”