Larry Hogan agrees to Angela Alsobrooks’ preferred debate in US Senate race

BALTIMORE — Larry Hogan’s campaign for U.S. Senate said Tuesday the former Republican governor would debate Angela Alsobrooks in a forum the Democrat had previously committed to — likely setting up at least one televised debate between the candidates after they were initially locked in a stalemate over where and when to face off.

The debate is scheduled for Oct. 10 at the Maryland Public Television station studios in Owings Mills, according to a June invitation and subsequent emails obtained by The Baltimore Sun earlier this month.

It will be moderated by longtime NBC News political analyst Chuck Todd and be distributed on NBC-affiliated stations WBAL and WRC, along with Telemundo’s WZDC — though none of the media partners have announced the plan and representatives for MPT and NBC News did not return requests for comment Tuesday.

Alsobrooks, a two-term Prince George’s County executive, accepted that debate offer last month but has refused to commit to two others that Hogan agreed to soon after winning his primary in May.

Her campaign also rescheduled her preferred debate from the originally proposed Oct. 23 to Oct. 10, the same day as another debate planned by The Baltimore Sun, FOX45, WJLA and the University of Baltimore.

The Maryland Public Television option Oct. 10 would be taped in the afternoon and aired in the evening, and The Sun/FOX45 option would be broadcast live in the evening.

Alsobrooks’ campaign has said she cannot debate that night because of a scheduling conflict. Her team also wanted to agree on the Maryland Public Television debate before considering other options. Alsobrooks spokesman Connor Lounsbury said Tuesday the campaign had not yet heard from Hogan’s team about accepting the MPT and NBC News debate.

Hogan spokesman Mike Ricci said in a statement that Hogan is still “fully committed” to the other invitations he initially accepted in May and he “continue(s) to await the Alsobrooks campaign’s response to those invitations.”

“Governor Hogan looks forward to debating County Executive Alsobrooks this fall on the issues that matter most to Marylanders,” Ricci said.

The matchup to replace retiring Democratic U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin is Maryland’s most competitive race of its kind in decades, with Hogan seeking to become the first Maryland Republican elected to the U.S. Senate since 1980.

Mail-in ballots will start being sent to voters who request them at the end of September. One week of early voting will begin Oct. 24, and Election Day is Nov. 5.