Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks is headed to Senate. So what happens to her seat?
PRINCE GEOREGE'S CO., Md. - NEW UPDATE: Angela Alsobrooks resigns as Prince George’s County Executive following Senate win
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Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks won the race for the Maryland Senate seat over former Gov. Larry Hogan.
Alsobooks’ new term, along with the rest of Congress, will begin on Jan. 3, 2025. So what happens with the vacant Prince George’s County executive seat?
According to county code, the current chief administrative officer will become the acting county executive until a new executive is chosen.
There are two ways that can happen, but it’s dependent on when Alsobrooks decides to resign.
According to a county spokesperson, if Alsobrooks resigns before 12 p.m. on Dec. 2, the decision would go to a special election. This means anyone who wants to run can put their name in the hat and county residents would be able to vote on who they want to fill the vacancy.
If Alsobrooks resigns after that date, the new county executive would be chosen from the current members of the county council and would have to be confirmed by a majority vote of council members.
Angela Alsobrooks defeats Larry Hogan to win Maryland US Senate race: AP calls
Democrat Angela Alsobrooks has won Maryland’s 2024 U.S. Senate race, defeating Republican Larry Hogan. Her victory likely secures Democratic control of the Senate and marks her as the first Black U.S. senator in Maryland’s history.
If the council members can’t reach a majority decision within 14 days after the vacancy occurs, the council chair will take the seat for the remainder of the term.
If it goes to a special election, State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy says she’s looking to join the race.
"If a vacancy as County Executive for Prince George’s County becomes available, I will seek to fill the seat," Braveboy said in a statement. "I love this county — I grew up here, and I understand the needs of Prince Georgians — because I am one."
Braveboy has serves as the county’s State’s Attorney since 2019. In 2006, she was elected to represent Maryland’s 25th District in the General Assembly and since then, served various roles within the county government.
"I desire to take my experience at all levels of government — the executive branch, the legislative branch, and now the judicial branch, as the top law enforcement officer — into this next position," Braveboy said. "The values of Prince Georgians are my values."
Braveboy is just one of a handful of candidates looking to fill the seat if it comes to a special election.
Prince George’s County councilmember Calvin Hawkins says he’s eyeing the position as well. Hawkins is the At-Large member and was reelected to his council seat in November 2022.
"They know me — all 499 square miles of this county, I have visited. They know me from my work in the community. The business community knows me. The question is, do you want to keep moving us forward the way the county exec has done or do you want to vacillate or lose our, we need to keep moving forward?" Hawkins told FOX 5. "That’s what Calvin Hawkins offer the citizens of Prince George’s County."
Another county councilmember with interest in the executive seat is County Chair Jolene Ivey. She was elected to chairperson unanimously in December 2023 after former Chair Mel Franklin was caught up in a felony theft scheme that led to his resignation.
Ivey was elected to her first term representing District 5 in November 2018 and was in November 2022.
She says she wants to tackle the county’s housing crisis and growing costs.
"One of the biggest issues affecting our county right now is housing costs and when it comes to our seniors, they are the ones who are most effected and they are the ones who bring the least amount of impact to our budget. I’ve been effective already whether in the House of Delegates, County Council, member of our community and as a mom. I think I am well suited for this," Ivey told FOX 5.
Alsobrooks has not released comment on when she will resign from office as of yet. She won the Senate seat in the Maryland general election on Tuesday, Nov. 5.