These two women have consistently demonstrated their dedication not only to the Black community but to all constituents, regardless of their leadership roles.
Harris announced her candidacy for the presidency on July 27. A Howard University alumna and proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Harris has a long history of public service. She joined the California Bar Association in 1990 and began her career as a deputy district attorney in Alameda County. From there, she advanced to become the first woman elected as San Francisco district attorney, then served as California’s attorney general from 2011 to 2016. Elected to the U.S. Senate in 2017, she represented California until joining the Biden administration as vice president.
During her time as vice president, Harris has been an influential advocate on issues such as reproductive rights and voting rights protections. She was instrumental in passing the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act and securing $16 billion in support for historically Black colleges and universities. Her advocacy extends to Black farmers, small business owners, and initiatives to reduce Black unemployment and increase generational wealth among Black entrepreneurs.
Similarly, Alsobrooks, a Maryland Democrat and distinguished member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., is poised to make history. A win for Harris would make her the first woman president of the U.S., and a victory for Alsobrooks would mark Maryland’s first Black woman senator.
Alsobrooks faces former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, a Republican, in the race to succeed retiring Sen. Ben Cardin. The AFRO endorsed Alsobrooks as the Democratic nominee in the Maryland primary and joins other prominent Maryland leaders, such as House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones and Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott, in supporting her. Former President Barack Obama also recently endorsed her, highlighting her record on public safety.
The AFRO is proud to be in the number of supporters for Alsobrooks, which at one time included former Gov. Larry Hogan.
In a 2022 live stream, still available on verified Youtube and Meta (Facebook) pages for the former state official, then Gov. Larry Hogan praised Alsobrooks for her “incredible leadership,” and even though his own father held the office of Prince George’s County executive from Dec. 1978 to Dec. 19, 1982, Hogan said “I can’t remember a better county executive than Angela Alsobrooks.”
The outcome of this race could impact which party controls the U.S. Senate. Currently, Democrats hold 48 seats, and two independents caucus with them, while Republicans have 50 seats. Harris, as vice president, has the power to cast tie-breaking votes, giving Democrats a slim majority.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore, who endorsed Alsobrooks last October, praised her efforts to build schools and attract jobs to Prince George’s County.
“In our Maryland, we have lowered homicides, made historic investments in education, brought record-low unemployment to the state, and signed some of the strongest laws in America to protect reproductive freedoms. Angela Alsobrooks has been a partner every step of the way,” Moore said.
Alsobrooks has supported economic development in her county and was instrumental in securing the new FBI headquarters bid last year.
For these reasons, the AFRO is proud to endorse both Kamala Harris for president and Angela Alsobrooks for the U.S. Senate. Remember to register to vote by Oct. 15 and plan to cast your ballot on Nov. 5.
The post The AFRO endorses Harris, Alsobrooks ahead of Election Day 2024 appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.
