Maryland Dem Senate candidate Angela Alsobrooks on defensive over tax credits, HOA fees as Larry Hogan tries to flip seat

Fresh off headlines that the Democrats’ Senate nominee in Maryland received an improper tax credit, new documents indicate that Angela Alsobrooks also was late in paying thousands of dollars in homeowners association fees.According to documents obtained by Fox News, Alsobrooks failed to pay $8,121 in homeowners association fees on time in seven cases from 2008 through 2021.The fees, known as HOA fees, are usually assessed monthly or quarterly by a homeowners’ association to pay for the services it provides.Alsobrooks, the chief executive of Prince George’s County – Maryland’s second-largest county – faces former two-term Republican Gov. Larry Hogan in a competitive race to succeed Democrat Sen.Ben Cardin, who is retiring this year after serving nearly two decades in the Senate and nearly six decades as a state and then federal lawmaker. The Senate contest in the overwhelmingly blue state is one of a handful that may decide if the GOP wins back the chamber’s majority in the November elections.Polling in the summer indicated a close contest, but the most recent survey released last week by the Washington Post and the University of Maryland pointed to an 11-point lead by Alsobrooks.But this month’s acknowledgment of an improper tax credit received by Alsobrooks handed Hogan some political ammunition.The Alsobrooks’ campaign said the candidate would pay back taxes after improperly taking advantage of property tax breaks.The tax credits, which Alsobrooks did not qualify for, included one meant for low-income senior citizens and a homestead tax break, which is restricted to homes listed as an owner’s primary residence.Alsobrooks’ campaign noted that Hogan in 2016 also received a tax break on his Maryland home while he was living in the governor’s mansion in Annapolis.

But governors are exempt from residency requirements.Democrats control the Senate by a razor-thin 51-49 margin, and Republicans are looking at a favorable election map this ...