The farmers market in this suburb of Washington, DC, was a ripe crowd for Angela Alsobrooks, who’s locked in an increasingly contentious Senate Democratic primary on Tuesday. “I would really like to see a Black woman in the Senate. It’s about time,” 68-year-old Kathy Pruitt of Takoma Park said as she stood in the pickle line last Saturday. If elected in November, Alsobrooks, the executive of Prince George’s County, could become only the third Black woman ever elected to the Senate.
Barbara Lee failed to advance to the November election, attention turned to Delaware, where Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester is running for an open Senate seat, and, now, to Maryland. Pamela Luckett, 67, of Silver Spring said Maryland should play a role in diversifying the chamber. “As a leader in democracy across the country, it’s very important that we do that — with a qualified person,” she added. “It’s not just about identity. She is qualified, and she is the most qualified candidate in that race.