Angela Alsobrooks stepped up to the lectern at the United Center in Chicago on Tuesday night, dressed in a white suit, to passionately advocate for Kamala Harris — a close associate and mentor — as the next president of the United States.
For eight minutes, Alsobrooks, the Prince George’s County executive now vying for a vacant U.S. Senate seat in Maryland, captured the political spotlight as she shared part of her personal journey alongside her support for Harris.
Alsobrooks recounted her first encounter with Harris over 14 years ago while running for state’s attorney in Prince George’s County. Inspired by Harris’ policies and her commitment to supporting nonviolent offenders in an article from Essence magazine, Alsobrooks frequently mentioned Harris during her campaign. After winning her election in 2010, Alsobrooks received a phone call from Harris, who had just been elected California’s attorney general, offering her assistance.
From that call, a strong friendship and mentorship began, with Harris aiding Alsobrooks in establishing post-prison reentry programs in Prince George’s County to help curb recidivism. The two have consistently supported and campaigned for each other, appearing together multiple times recently.
Alsobrooks made a strong statement about Harris’ capability to challenge Donald Trump in the upcoming general election, emphasizing her experience as a former prosecutor. “Hear me: Kamala Harris knows how to keep criminals off the streets,” Alsobrooks declared. “Come November, with your help, she’ll keep one out of the Oval Office.”
The Maryland delegation present at the convention cheered enthusiastically for Alsobrooks, but she electrified the audience further with repetitive statements concluding with “not going back,” directed at Trump. As the crowd recognized the recurring theme, they joined in, growing louder with each line.
“This is our moment to leave Donald Trump where he belongs: in America’s past,” Andersbrooks stated. “We stand with Kamala Harris because we, as a country, are not going back.”
Her emotional appeals referenced historical struggles for civil rights, addressing various groups, saying they would not be going back for their sacrifices and efforts.
Alsobrooks often shares the inspirational story of her grandmother, Sarah, who aspired to work for the federal government but lacked a typewriter to pass a civil service test. Ingenuously, Alsobrooks recounted how her grandmother drew a keyboard on a piece of paper to practice typing, ultimately passing the test and elevating their family’s socioeconomic status. “I am her legacy,” Alsobrooks proclaimed. “And tonight: I am a candidate for United States Senate from the great state of Maryland!”
She expressed that figures like her grandmother and Harris inspire her to envision a brighter future and possess the determination to achieve it.
While Alsobrooks echoed familiar themes during her speech, she opted not to address former Governor Larry Hogan’s list of issues he wanted her to cover. Although she often highlights the decline in crime during her tenure as state’s attorney, she refrained from discussing the rise in certain crime rates since becoming county executive. Hogan claimed a significant increase in violent crime and homicides during her tenure, but did not acknowledge that much of Alsobrooks’ time overlapped with his governorship, when he had sway over state criminal justice policies.