As Montgomery County, Maryland prepares for the 2024 Presidential, Congressional, and statewide elections, after driving through the county for several hours looking for campaign signage one thing is clear— there is little if any campaign signage to be seen. Nor are there any voters to speak with at polling stations because early voting does not begin in the State of Maryland until October 24th. So, this visual journalist combined categories for this interactive photo essay, covering two polling places, the Potomac Community Recreation Center and the Nancy H. Dacek Potomac Community Recreation Center, campaign volunteers, and candidate signage. My aim was to capture the essence of this election season through visual storytelling, despite the scarcity of overt campaign presence.
Voters driving through the county will find striking campaign signage in support of: Kamala Harris and Tim Walz as the Nation’s next president and vice president; April Delaney in her campaign for Maryland’s 6th Congressional District; Jamie Raskin’s campaign for Maryland’s 8th Congressional District, and Black Lives Matter. After several hours of driving through the county, not one campaign sign was seen in favor of Angela Alsobrooks’ or Larry Hogan’s bid to fill the Senate seat being vacated by Senator Ben Cardin, a much beloved Democrat who is retiring.
The contest between Alsobrooks, the Democratic Executive of Prince George’s County, and Hogan, a former Republican governor of Maryland, is anticipated to be a monumental showdown. If successful, Alsobrooks would make history as the first Black woman elected to represent Maryland in the U.S. Senate. Hogan’s victory would signify a shift in Maryland politics, potentially flipping a seat that has long been held by Democrats. Given the stakes involved, especially with the Senatorial election having the potential to shift the balance of power in the U.S. Senate, I expected to see campaign signage for Alsobrooks and Hogan across the county. I saw none.
What does this mean? Is this lack of visibility indicative of broader electoral trends within the county? Could the lack of Alsobrooks and Hogan campaign signs signal a disconnect between the candidates and constituents at this late stage in the election cycle? Black voters helped Alsobrooks beat David Trone in the Democratic primary. While voters are absent from polling places, the upcoming weeks will be crucial in ramping up the Black vote. As early voting approaches, both Alsobrooks and Hogan need to amplify their outreach efforts to engage Black voters to carry one of them over the finish line. The anticipated showdown between Alsobrooks and Hogan is significant nationally, but right now, Montgomery County residents don’t seem to care. This, is a bad sign.
No Lighting
A Frame Within A Frame
Diagonals and Triangles
Leading Lines
Foreground Interest and Depth
Rule of Thirds
Harris & Walz Support #2, in Rockville, Maryland. By, Logan Johns.
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