The Maryland Senate race is shaping up to be a battleground not just for local voters, but for out-of-state interests as well. New campaign finance reports reveal that both Angela Alsobrooks and Larry Hogan have each raised over $5 million in the past three months, with a significant portion coming from beyond Maryland’s borders.

UMBC associate professor of political science Ian Anson notes, “This is something that I think is somewhat uncommon for a state like Maryland, where we tend to not have such competitive races like this.” The influx of out-of-state money raises questions about the influence of external forces on Maryland’s political landscape.

While Alsobrooks’ campaign reports $3.6 million cash on hand and Hogan’s sits at $2.7 million, the real story lies in the super PAC funding. The “Maryland’s Future PAC,” supporting Hogan, has amassed a war chest of nearly $15 million, primarily from out-of-state Republican figures. This external influence on Maryland politics is troubling to many local voters who fear their voices may be drowned out by national partisan interests.

On the Democratic side, while there isn’t currently a super PAC matching the Republican effort, Anson expects national Democratic groups to pour money into Alsobrooks’ campaign in the coming months. This anticipated influx of out-of-state Democratic money further blurs the line between a state election and a national political battleground.

The surge in out-of-state funding for both campaigns threatens to turn the Maryland Senate race into a proxy war for national partisan interests, potentially overshadowing local issues and concerns. As Anson warns, “If you’re sick of seeing political advertisements in Maryland, get ready, because it’s going to be a deluge the likes of which we don’t normally see.”