Angela Alsobrooks Bio
Angela Deneece Alsobrooks (born February 23, 1971) is an American lawyer and politician serving since 2025 as the junior United States senator from Maryland. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served as Prince George’s County state’s attorney from 2011 to 2018 and as county executive from 2018 until her resignation in 2024. She is the first woman and the first Black woman to serve as Prince George’s County executive, and she is Maryland’s first African-American senator.
Born in Suitland, Maryland, and raised in Prince George’s County, Alsobrooks built a career as a prosecutor before moving into countywide executive office. In 2024, she defeated former Republican governor Larry Hogan to claim a seat in the United States Senate, becoming one of the few Black women ever elected to the chamber.
Early Life and Background
Angela Deneece Alsobrooks was born on February 23, 1971, in Suitland, Maryland, to James Alsobrooks and Patricia Alsobrooks. She grew up in Prince George’s County, where she attended Benjamin Banneker High School. As a student, she became active in civic life, serving as president of her high school’s student government. She was later diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) at the age of eight, an experience that led her to participate in youth theater programs at Howard University.
She went on to attend Duke University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree, and later received her Juris Doctor from the University of Maryland School of Law. Her early exposure to public service included internships with U.S. House Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton and the Congressional Black Caucus, and she attended the 1992 Democratic National Convention as an intern. She later volunteered for Democratic nominee Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign and worked on Al Gore’s 2000 presidential bid.
Path to US Politics
Alsobrooks first got involved in electoral politics in 2009, when she filed to run for Prince George’s County state’s attorney after reading a profile of District Attorney of San Francisco Kamala Harris in Essence Magazine and Harris’s book Smart on Crime. Harris endorsed her campaign, helping to establish Alsobrooks as a rising voice among progressive prosecutors in the state. She won election as state’s attorney in 2010 and was reelected in 2014, gaining recognition for her work on domestic violence cases and criminal justice reform.
Her success as state’s attorney paved the way for a run at higher office. On July 28, 2017, she announced her candidacy for Prince George’s County executive, campaigning on a platform of increasing education funding, expanding the commercial tax base, and improving public safety. She won the 2018 Democratic primary with 61.8% of the vote and was sworn in as county executive on December 3, 2018, becoming both the first woman and the first Black woman to hold the position in the county and in Maryland.
Angela Alsobrooks Career
Early Career (2010-2018)
Alsobrooks served as Prince George’s County state’s attorney from 2011 to 2018, winning election in 2010 and reelection in 2014. During her tenure, she focused on domestic violence prosecution, community prosecution initiatives, and efforts to address violent crime in one of Maryland’s largest counties. Her work drew endorsements from figures such as U.S. senator Chris Van Hollen and representatives Anthony Brown and Steny Hoyer.
These early accomplishments positioned her as a leading candidate for county executive. When she announced her candidacy in 2017, she emphasized her prosecutorial record and her commitment to expanding educational opportunity and public safety investments across Prince George’s County.
County Executive Breakthrough (2018-2024)
Alsobrooks was sworn in as Prince George’s County executive on December 3, 2018, after running without formal general-election opposition and earning 98.9% of the vote. Her administration launched a public-private partnership to build new schools, making the county the first jurisdiction in the United States to use such partnerships for school construction. She also established a county composting program and signed an executive order setting a goal to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and reach net zero by 2045.
She won reelection in 2022 and used her second term to expand health services for people with HIV/AIDS, hire the county’s first government liaison to the LGBTQ community, and fly the Progress Pride flag over county buildings. Following criticism over Latino representation in her cabinet, she created the Office of Multicultural Affairs, increased Spanish translation of county documents, and later reported that Latino representation in the county’s workforce had grown from 6% to 23% during her tenure.
U.S. Senate Era (2025-Present)
On May 9, 2023, Alsobrooks announced her candidacy for the United States Senate. She won the Democratic primary on May 14, 2024, with 54% of the vote, defeating self-funded congressman David Trone, and went on to defeat former Republican governor Larry Hogan on November 5, 2024, with 54.6% of the vote. She resigned as county executive on December 2, 2024, and was sworn in as Maryland’s junior senator on January 3, 2025.
Since taking office, she has introduced the Tariff Transparency Act, voted against Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s confirmation as Secretary of Health and Human Services, and led opposition to provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that would cut Medicaid and SNAP. She was sworn in alongside Lisa Blunt Rochester, making the 119th Congress the first in which two Black women serve simultaneously in the United States Senate.
Notable Events and Milestones
Alsobrooks made history in 2018 as the first woman and the first Black woman elected county executive in Prince George’s County and in Maryland. Her 2024 Senate victory made her Maryland’s first African-American senator, the third Black woman ever elected to the U.S. Senate, and the second woman to represent Maryland in the chamber after Barbara Mikulski. Her joint swearing-in with Lisa Blunt Rochester marked the first time two Black women served in the Senate at the same time.
Angela Alsobrooks Career Wins
Alsobrooks has won multiple major elections throughout her career in Maryland politics, including two races for Prince George’s County state’s attorney, two races for county executive, and one race for the United States Senate. Her victories have consistently reflected strong support in her home base of Prince George’s County and across urban Maryland.
Election Highlights
In 2010, Alsobrooks won her first race for Prince George’s County state’s attorney and was reelected in 2014. She then won the 2018 Democratic primary for county executive with 61.8% of the vote and ran unopposed in the general election, earning 98.9%. She secured reelection as county executive in 2022 and capped her run of victories by winning the 2024 Democratic Senate primary with 54% of the vote before defeating Larry Hogan with 54.6% in the general election.
Other Wins and Achievements
Alsobrooks delivered the keynote address at the 2024 Democratic National Convention and served as a delegate pledged to Kamala Harris. She was named co-chair on the transition teams of Governor Wes Moore and Comptroller-elect Brooke Lierman after the 2022 election. She has received endorsements from leading Maryland Democrats, including Chris Van Hollen, Steny Hoyer, Anthony Brown, and Wes Moore.
Angela Alsobrooks Family
Family Background and Personal Lineage
Angela Deneece Alsobrooks is the daughter of James Alsobrooks and Patricia Alsobrooks. She was raised in Prince George’s County, where she continues to own property, including a townhouse in Upper Marlboro. Her second cousin is Baltimore Banner columnist Leslie Gray Streeter. She is a congregant at First Baptist Church of Glenarden and a member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority.
Personal Life
Alsobrooks has a daughter, Alex, born in 2005, whom she raised as a single mother. Both mother and daughter have been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). She is a fan of the Washington Commanders and has been active in promoting breast cancer awareness throughout her public life. She is a resident of Upper Marlboro, Maryland.