Angela Alsobrooks facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Angela Alsobrooks
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Official portrait, 2025
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| United States Senator from Maryland |
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| Assumed office January 3, 2025 Serving with Chris Van Hollen
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| Preceded by | Ben Cardin |
| 8th Executive of Prince George's County | |
| In office December 3, 2018 – December 2, 2024 |
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| Preceded by | Rushern Baker |
| Succeeded by | Tara Jackson (acting) |
| State's Attorney of Prince George's County | |
| In office January 3, 2011 – December 3, 2018 |
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| Preceded by | Glenn Ivey |
| Succeeded by | Aisha Braveboy |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Angela Deneece Alsobrooks
February 23, 1971 Suitland, Maryland, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | Duke University (BA) University of Maryland, Baltimore (JD) |
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| Website | |
Angela Deneece Alsobrooks (born February 23, 1971) is an American lawyer and politician. Since 2025, she has been a U.S. Senator for Maryland. She is a member of the Democratic Party.
Before becoming a Senator, she served as the county executive of Prince George's County, Maryland from 2018 to 2024. From 2010 to 2018, she was the county's state's attorney. She made history as the first female county executive of Prince George's County. She was also the first Black female county executive in Maryland.
Angela Alsobrooks grew up in Prince George's County. She studied at Duke University and the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law. She started her career as a lawyer. Later, she worked for the county government as a prosecutor. She focused on cases involving domestic violence.
In 2010, she was elected as the state's attorney for Prince George's County. She was reelected in 2014. In 2018, she became the Prince George's County Executive. She won against former U.S. Representative Donna Edwards in the primary election. She was reelected as County Executive in 2022.
In 2024, Alsobrooks ran for the U.S. Senate. She wanted to replace Senator Ben Cardin, who was retiring. She won the primary election against U.S. Representative David Trone. Then, she won the general election against former Republican governor Larry Hogan. With this win, she became Maryland's first African-American senator. She is also the third African-American woman elected as a senator in any U.S. state. She is the second woman to represent Maryland in the Senate.
Early Life and Education
Where Did Angela Alsobrooks Grow Up?
Angela Alsobrooks was born on February 23, 1971. Her father, James Alsobrooks, worked for The Washington Post and sold cars. Her mother, Patricia Alsobrooks, was a receptionist. Her family moved to Maryland in 1956.
She grew up in Camp Springs, Maryland. She went to Benjamin Banneker Academic High School in Washington, D.C.
What Did Angela Alsobrooks Study?
In 1993, she earned her bachelor's degree from Duke University. She studied public policy and Afro-American studies. In 1996, she received her law degree from the University of Maryland School of Law.
After law school, she worked for law firms. She also worked for Circuit Court Judges. In 1997, she became an assistant state's attorney in Prince George's County. She handled cases involving domestic violence.
In 2002, she became an education helper for County Executive Jack B. Johnson. In 2003, she was made the executive director of the county's revenue authority.
How Did Angela Alsobrooks Get Into Politics?
Angela Alsobrooks first got involved in politics in high school. She was the president of her student government. Later, she interned for House Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton.
She attended the 1992 Democratic National Convention as an intern. She volunteered for Bill Clinton's presidential campaign. In 2000, she worked for Al Gore's presidential campaign. In 2008, she supported Hillary Clinton for president. After the convention, she supported Barack Obama.
In 2009, she decided to run for Prince George's state's attorney. She was inspired by District Attorney of San Francisco Kamala Harris. Harris even supported Alsobrooks's campaign.
Serving as Prince George's State's Attorney
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When Was She State's Attorney?
Angela Alsobrooks was first elected Prince George's state's attorney in 2010. She was reelected in 2014. She was the first woman and the youngest person to hold this job in the county.
She had strong support during her first election. This included help from Maryland Secretary of Aging Gloria G. Lawlah. Other county leaders also supported her.
What Did She Do as State's Attorney?
As state's attorney, Alsobrooks focused on being tough on crime. But she also supported helping young people in the justice system. During her time, violent crime in the county went down by 50%. This was similar to trends across the country.
She also worked to increase prosecutions for car break-ins and burglaries. She personally handled important cases. She supported efforts to help communities with social problems. She also supported taking control of the county school system. She believed these actions helped reduce crime.
She created a special unit in her office. This unit handled economic crimes and public corruption. It also looked into police misconduct cases.
Alsobrooks worked to get more money for her office. This helped her hire more attorneys. She also increased the number of successful convictions. She divided her prosecutors into different police districts. This helped them focus on local cases. She also worked on improving community life. She encouraged school attendance and increased social services.
She worked with California Attorney General Kamala Harris. They started a program to reduce repeat offenses in Prince George's County. This program was like one Harris had in California.
Leading Prince George's County
Becoming County Executive
Alsobrooks announced she would run for county executive on July 28, 2017. Her main goals were to increase school funding and improve public safety. She also wanted to grow the county's businesses.
She received many important endorsements. These included The Washington Post and U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen. She won the Democratic primary election with 61.8% of the votes. She defeated eight other candidates. She then ran unopposed in the general election in 2018.
Alsobrooks was sworn in on December 3, 2018. She became the first woman elected county executive for Prince George's County. She was also the first Black woman to serve as a county executive in Maryland.
She was reelected as county executive in 2022. She supported Wes Moore in the Democratic primary for governor. She was later a co-chair for Moore's transition team.
What Did She Do as County Executive?
During her time as county executive, Alsobrooks faced some criticism. Latino officials noted that no one of Hispanic background was appointed to her cabinet. Latinos make up a large part of the county's population. Alsobrooks said more could be done to include Latinos. Her office said they often did not receive Latino applicants.
After this, she appointed Manuel Castillo as a chief security officer. She also created the Office of Multicultural Affairs. Spanish translations of county documents became easier to find. She later stated that Latino representation in the county's workforce increased during her time.
Alsobrooks left her role as county executive on December 2, 2024. This was after she was elected to the U.S. Senate. The county's chief administrative officer, Tara Jackson, became the acting county executive.
How Did She Handle the COVID-19 Pandemic?
On March 9, 2020, Alsobrooks announced the first case of COVID-19 in Prince George's County. She quickly closed county buildings. She opened the first COVID-19 testing site at FedExField on March 27, 2020. Prince George's was hit very hard by the pandemic.
In April 2020, she praised Governor Hogan for getting test kits from South Korea. She asked for 90,000 of these kits for her county. In May 2020, she was careful about easing COVID-19 rules. She said the county was still dealing with many patients. She also provided $8 million for a rent assistance program. This helped people affected by the pandemic.
On May 28, 2020, Alsobrooks announced the county would slowly start reopening. She formed a "Prince George's Forward" task force. This group would help the county recover.
In July 2020, she created a COVID-19 Ambassador Compliance Team. This team made sure businesses followed the rules. She also set a 50-person limit on social gatherings. In November 2020, she announced new limits for bars, gyms, and restaurants. This was due to a rise in cases.
In January 2021, she announced a "reset" for vaccine appointments. This was because people from other counties were getting vaccines in Prince George's. In February 2021, she launched a "Proud to be Protected" campaign. This campaign fought vaccine misinformation and encouraged vaccinations. In May 2021, she lifted most of the county's COVID-19 rules. This was because cases were going down. In August 2021, she brought back the indoor mask mandate. This was due to the Delta variant. The mask mandate was lifted on February 28, 2022.
What Were Her Development Goals?
During her campaign, Alsobrooks said she would work to keep the Redskins stadium in Prince George's County. She also opposed a plan for a maglev train. This train would connect Washington, D.C., to Baltimore. She called it "disrespectful" to Prince George's County.
In 2019, she introduced a plan to make state road upkeep more clear. This included publishing schedules for median maintenance and litter pickup.
In May 2021, she again spoke against the maglev train plan. She argued it would harm sensitive areas. She also said the fast train would cause vibrations and hurt property values. In late 2021, she started programs to build and protect mixed-use developments. These were near the Blue Line and Purple Line projects.
What Were Her Education Goals?
Alsobrooks wanted to invest more in pre-K education. She also wanted to improve career and technology education. She aimed for universal pre-K for all children.
In 2019, she announced that Prince George's County would use public-private partnerships. This would help build and maintain several schools. This was a first for a U.S. jurisdiction. In 2020, she supported a law to allow up to $2.2 billion for school construction.
In January 2021, she appointed Juanita Miller as chair of the school board. In August 2021, she asked for an investigation into ethics charges against school board members. In June 2022, she asked Miller to resign from the school board.
In September 2021, she worried that no one from Prince George's County was on a state education reform panel. In February 2022, she asked for a law to return to an all-elected school board in Prince George's County.
What Was Her Stance on Minimum Wage?
In 2019, Alsobrooks supported a law to raise the state's minimum wage. She wanted it to reach $15 an hour by 2023. She said no single county could do this alone.
What Were Her Views on National Politics?
Alsobrooks opposed the 2018–2019 government shutdown. She called it "wicked." In July 2019, she went to Detroit to support Kamala Harris during a presidential debate.
In May 2020, Alsobrooks was a co-chair for the Maryland Women for Joe Biden group. She was a delegate for Biden at the 2020 Democratic National Convention. She also attended the inauguration of Joe Biden. She spoke at and was a delegate for Kamala Harris at the 2024 Democratic National Convention.
What Were Her Views on Policing?
In June 2020, Alsobrooks announced the county would not expand its police training facility. Instead, $20 million would go to a public health facility. This facility would treat mental health and addiction.
In July 2020, she created a Police Reform Task Force. This group would suggest changes for public policing. In February 2021, she announced the county would use these reforms. This included updating the police department's use of force policy. It also created a new office of integrity. This office would be led by an independent inspector general.
Serving in the U.S. Senate
How Did She Get Elected to the Senate?
On May 9, 2023, Alsobrooks announced she would run for the U.S. Senate. Her campaign focused on everyday issues. These included community safety and health care. She also highlighted her experience as a prosecutor and county executive. She campaigned a lot in the Baltimore metropolitan area.
She received many important endorsements from Maryland Democrats. These included Chris Van Hollen, Steny Hoyer, and Wes Moore.
The Democratic primary became a contest between money and endorsements. Alsobrooks received many individual donations. Her main opponent, David Trone, spent a lot of his own money. He outspent Alsobrooks significantly. Alsobrooks focused on meeting supporters directly. She also ran advertisements closer to the election.
Alsobrooks was behind in polls for most of the primary. But she gained support in the final weeks. She won the primary on May 14, 2024, with 54% of the vote. Her support came mostly from the state's largest cities and her home county.
She then faced former governor Larry Hogan in the general election. She criticized Hogan's record. She also tried to link him to former President Donald Trump. She reminded voters that a Hogan win would give Republicans control of the Senate. Alsobrooks defeated Hogan on November 5 with 54.6% of the vote.
What Is Her Role as Senator?
Alsobrooks was sworn in on January 3, 2025. She is the first Black senator from Maryland. She is also the first woman to represent Maryland in Congress since 2017. And she is the third Black woman ever elected to the Senate.
What Committees Is She On?
As a U.S. Senator, Angela Alsobrooks serves on several important committees:
- Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
- Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Protection
- Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development
- Subcommittee on National Security and International Trade and Finance
- Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance, and Investment
- Committee on Environment and Public Works
- Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
- Special Committee on Aging
What Groups Is She a Member Of?
She is also part of these groups:
- Congressional Black Caucus
- Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues
Personal Life
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Angela Alsobrooks has a daughter named Alex, who was born in 2005. She raised Alex as a single mother.
She owns two homes in Prince George's County. She goes to First Baptist Church of Glenarden. She is also a member of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority. She actively promotes breast cancer awareness. Her second cousin is Leslie Gray Streeter, a writer for The Baltimore Banner.
Alsobrooks was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) when she was eight years old. This led her to attend youth theater programs. Her daughter also has ADHD.
She is a fan of the Washington Commanders football team.
See also
- List of African-American United States senators
- Women in the United States Senate
- List of African-American United States Senate candidates
