Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks addressed members of the Jewish community at an event hosted by the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington at Congregation Beth El of Montgomery County in Bethesda on April 16, where she discussed her beliefs, character and ideals.
The event was part of a series organized by the JCRC in which major U.S. Senate candidates from Maryland have the opportunity to interact with members of the Jewish community in a communal setting.
Introducing her personal connection to Israel, Alsobrooks emphasized the impact she said her 2019 trip to Israel had on her. Alsobrooks noted that during the trip she traveled with a historian, visited the Knesset, went to the Golan Heights and met with military officials.
“We really had the opportunity there to get a sense of the safety and security concerns that were real-time happening in Israel,” Alsobrooks said.
Alsobrooks went on to emphasize the importance of the relationship between the United States and Israel.
“We have not only shared values around democracy and freedom and human rights, but there are also a number of shared interests that we have and that keep us as allies,” Alsobrooks said. “I am committed to the U.S.-Israeli relationship. We are allies, we are friends, and we are committed to ensuring that we are there every moment to make sure that Israel continues to have the ability to defend itself and to stand strong as a democratic state in that part of the world.”
Other major points of conversation in the candidate’s address and the Q&A session that followed included health care, housing and education.
Alsobrooks was elected as the eighth county executive for Prince George’s County in November 2018.
During her first year in office, she led a government that increased education funding which allowed for smaller class sizes and support for nearly 5,000 pre-K students. Her term also saw technology and facilities improvements for students throughout the county.
Alsobrooks set a record in 2021, when her administration secured more than $1.6 billion in state aid for the county. She also allocated funding for the first behavioral health facility in Prince George’s County.
Following the Oct. 7 attack, Alsobrooks was able to secure resources for five Prince George’s County synagogues, which were then able to hire off-duty police officers to help protect their houses of worship and congregants.
While Alsobrooks spoke about why she is proud of her record as county executive, she also holds the distinction of being the first woman and youngest person to hold the position.
“Now is a great time to send a woman to Washington,” Alsobrooks said during her remarks.
She went on to speak about reproductive rights and challenged her opponents’ records on defending reproductive health care.
“How sad it is that we are fighting fights and all the things we thought we’d already won — the fight for a woman’s freedom and privacy to make decisions about our own bodies,” Alsobrooks said.
Alsobrooks referenced a comment made by fellow Senate candidate and former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan earlier this year on CNN, where he referred to abortion as an “emotional issue for women.”
“We have a 10-person delegation with eight congressmen and two senators and no women, none whatsoever, representing us in Washington,” Alsobrooks said, decrying a lack of female representation in Maryland’s delegation. “Every one of us should look in the Senate and see some of ourselves — of every race of every gender and every background because it makes our country’s policies stronger.”
During the Q&A session following Alsobrooks’ remarks, one audience member asked what Alsobrooks would do to help the school systems in Maryland combat antisemitism.
Alsobrooks responded by promising to support policies that “ensure that we are cracking down on hatred and antisemitism.”
She cited a meeting she had with the American Jewish Committee and emphasized the importance of having diverse voices speaking on the issue.
The event featuring Alsobrooks follows an appearance by former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan at a JCRC event for the Jewish community and precedes a similar program to be held with U.S. Rep. David Trone.
“One of the JCRC’s central responsibilities is to educate our community … so when there are very competitive primaries and elections, it’s a natural extension of our responsibilities to provide these opportunities so that Jewish voters can become better educated about issues of concern to them,” said JCRC Executive Director Ron Halber.
In an interview after the event, Halber called attention to the importance of this particular primary.
“It’s the first time in years we’ve had an open Senate seat. Senate seats don’t open up very often … most people who serve in the Senate serve for many years, 18 to 24 years, so it’s very rare,” Halber said. “Whoever wins the seat usually keeps that … this primary can very well be who would be the next senator for the state of Maryland for a generation.”
