Angela Alsobrooks has resigned from her post as executive for Prince George's County, Maryland, weeks after winning a U.S. Senate seat.
“Thank you for your trust and partnership as we worked to build a stronger, united Prince George’s,” Alsobrooks said in a news release. “Serving the residents of this County has been the honor of my lifetime, and I am deeply proud of all we have accomplished together.”
Chief Administrative Officer Tara H. Jackson will step in as the acting county executive until a special election is held for voters to select the next county executive.
Alsobrooks officially resigned at 10 a.m. Monday, narrowly missing the noon deadline for her to select the interim county executive. If Alsobrooks hadn't announced her resignation by noon, the Prince George's County Council would have chosen an acting executive.
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Alsobrooks, a Democrat, became the first Black candidate to be elected senator in Maryland when she prevailed against popular Republican former Gov. Larry Hogan in the November election.
The race had been widely watched with control of the Senate potentially at stake, but Democrats ended up losing their slim Senate majority despite her victory.
County leaders are expected to pick a date for the special election in the coming days. The special election process is expected to take several months.
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"Somewhere between now and December 12th the Council will meet to select a date for the special election, and then that date will be probably no more than 90 days after the 12th," Prince George's County Council Chair Jolene Ivey told News4.
Soon after Alsobrooks' announcement, Ivey announced her campaign for county executive.
"Prince George's County is at a crossroads. The next County Executive must tackle the housing affordability crisis, improve our schools, support our businesses, and work with the community and police to reduce crime," Ivey said in a statement.
Prince George's County State's Attorney Aisha Braveboy and Council Member at Large Calvin Hawkins also declared they're running for the job.
"The challenges and opportunities before us are enormous and both will demand bold and ambitious vision in response. Voters know that I’m unafraid of a challenge and that I seldom miss an opportunity," Braveboy said in a statement. "I’m grateful for the trust they’ve placed in me – having twice elected me State’s Attorney. I’ll present my case to them as I have in the past and ask them to place their trust in me again.”
"I am confident that my 30 years of experience in county government has prepared me for this awesome responsibility," Hawkins said in a statement announcing his candidacy. "I will put the people first, from educators to entrepreneurs and our re-entering citizens, actively engaging our diverse county to understand everyone’s needs."
Former county executive Rushern Baker is strongly considering running for his old post.
"Rushern’s tenure as County Executive brought historic progress to Prince George’s County. With the challenges ahead, he is strongly considering a run in the special election to bring experienced, steady leadership back to our community," Baker's senior advisor, Kevin Ford Jr., said in a statement.
The winner of the special election will serve out the remainder of Alsobrooks' term — about two years.
Ivey said special elections are costly for the county and can exceed $1 million. She said she would like to limit voting to only mail-in ballots to cut down on the costs of setting up machines and dropboxes.
Alsobrooks' supporters noted she would bring greater diversity to the Senate, and they said she is better positioned to address problems facing the state and the nation.
Alsobrooks served as the county executive since 2018. Before that, she was the county’s top prosecutor.
