The endorsement comes as a boost for Hawkins in a competitive race packed with well-known political names in Prince George’s.

The Washington Post
By Lateshia Beachum, Katie Shepherd and Katie Mettler
U.S. Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D) endorsed at-large Prince George’s County council member Calvin Hawkins (D) for her old county executive seat Friday, putting her political clout behind a candidate known for his story of redemption.
The endorsement comes as a boost for Hawkins in a competitive race packed with well-known political names in Prince George’s. Hawkins is up against county state’s attorney Aisha Braveboy (D), at-large council member Jolene Ivey (D), former county executive Rushern Baker (D) and Maryland state senator Alonzo T. Washington (D).
“I am proud to support Calvin Hawkins to be the next County Executive of Prince George’s County,” Alsobrooks said in a statement shared with The Washington Post. “Calvin is a lifelong Prince Georgian who understands the people of our county, their needs, and their values.”
Alsobrooks pointed to Hawkins’s longtime career in county government and his role as Council Chair, which she said would allow him to hit the ground running on day one.
“He will grow our economy, manage our budget, and provide the services that Prince Georgians need and deserve,” Alsobrooks said.
Alsobrooks, a senator who began her first term in early January, has long been a powerful and important voice in Prince George’s County. She served as county executive for six years, and was the elected state’s attorney for the county for the preceding eight years.
Alsobrooks resigned as county executive in December after winning a competitive Senate race against former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan.
Hawkins, who has served as an at-large member of the county council since 2018, said he was honored to receive the senator’s endorsement. On the campaign trail, Hawkins has pointed to his three decades of county government experience, saying he guided local businesses and renters through the covid-19 pandemic and expanded access to community health care. His vision for the county centers on ensuring schools have resources, addressing the lack of affordable housing for seniors and boosting economic development. The county’s budget, which has faced multiple shortfalls, is also top of mind.
“We face big challenges with our financial deficit," he said. "However, with my 30 years of government experience including being voted twice as the County Council Chair, I am ready to continue leading on Day One.”
Hawkins is in many ways a walking embodiment of Prince George’s County being a place for second chances and success. Hawkins has never been one to shy away from his past or where he stands on issues. He has openly shared stories about the nearly six years he spent in prison after being convicted of armed robbery at 21, and faced allegations of sexual harassment in 2008.
Hawkins, a long-time advisor to former county executive Rushern Baker, III, speaks with the intonation of a Southern Baptist preacher and a father unabashed at laying down the rules with younger council members. He has been brash with his fellow council members, only to return with apologies and the willingness to move on.
An Alsobrooks endorsement comes as no surprise among the county’s chattering class, who have long predicted his name as Alsobrooks’s choice to replace her.
Hawkins and his campaign manager worked the room at Alsobrooks’s victory party the night she clinched the Senate seat, shaking hands and making introductions. Since announcing his candidacy for county executive, Hawkins has sold himself to voters as the guy who will continue Alsobrooks’s legacy —a continuation of his persistent presence at her side throughout her administration, including in defining moments like when she announced a youth curfew after a historically deadly month in the county.
Alsobrooks's team emphasized that her endorsement of Hawkins for his experience and his ability to be ready for the role day one was not an endorsement against anyone else in the race, an Alsobrooks spokesperson said.
With the Alsobrooks feather in his cap, Hawkins still faces formidable opponents with name recognition, high esteem and compelling narratives.
Recent campaign finance filings showed that Braveboy has the most money in her war chest with over $530,ooo in her campaign account. Ivey, who was recently sworn in to her at-large seat last month, had the second highest amount of money thanks to a loan she gave her campaign earlier this month. Hawkins has the third highest amount of money, and his aggressive approach to fundraising saw him bringing in over $330,000 between Nov. 8 and Jan. 8.
Washington, the Maryland state senator, announced his bid for the county executive race last month. Washington has overcome his own obstacles, including living in some of the county’s more challenging neighborhoods and experiencing homelessness in the district he now serves. Though the county is a place where he faced hardship, like Hawkins, it was the same place that allowed him to write a new narrative for his life. In 2023, Gov. Moore appointed Washington to the Maryland Senate after 11 years in the House, making Washington District 22′s first ever Black state senator.
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