Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) pledged his support for Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks in the highly competitive Maryland Senate race just days after her Democratic competitor used a racial slur.  

“I’m supporting [Alsobrooks] for the U.S. Senate. She’s going to deliver for the people in Maryland every day,” Raskin said in a video announcement on Monday. “She’s going to be defending democracy and freedom against Donald Trump and the MAGA Right.”

Raskin’s announcement is the latest in a string of endorsements after her top opponent, Rep. David Trone (D-MD), apologized for using a racial slur during a recent House Budget Committee hearing. Five other black Democrats announced their support for Alsobrooks over the weekend, including Reps. Barbara Lee (D-CA), Gregory Meeks (D-NY), Joyce Beatty (D-OH), Yvette Clarke (D-NY), and Jasmine Crockett (D-TX). 

The group of Democrats did not mention Trone’s use of the racial slur in their endorsement decision, but the support is notable considering several of the party’s top leaders, such as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA), have previously thrown their support behind Trone. 

The backlash comes after Trone apologized for comments he made during a House Budget Committee meeting, during which he said: “This Republican jigaboo that it’s the tax rate that’s stopping business investment, it’s just completely faulty by people who have never run a business.”

Trone later apologized, clarifying he meant to use the word “bugaboo.” However, he said, he acknowledged he must take responsibility for his comments as an elected official. 

“As an elected official, I have a responsibility for the words I use,” he said in a statement. “Regardless of what I meant to say, I shouldn’t have used that language.”

Trone boasts endorsements from several high-profile Democratic members, although it’s not entirely clear whether some members may consider retracting their support after his most recent statements. The Washington Examiner contacted spokespeople for Jeffries and Clark, as well as a handful of other top Democrats who have supported Trone, but has not received responses. 

The split in Democratic support comes at a crucial time for the party as it seeks to hold on to the Senate seat held by Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD), who is retiring after this year. Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan is the favorite to win the Republican nomination, and he leads both Trone and Alsobrooks in hypothetical matchups between the two, according to a recent survey by the Washington Post. 

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Trone holds a slim lead over Alsobrooks in the Democratic primary, garnering 34% of support among registered Democrats compared to Alsobrooks’s 27%. However, nearly 40% of Democratic voters remain undecided on who they’d back in the primary.  

The Washington Examiner contacted the Trone and Alsobrooks campaigns for comments but has not received responses.