Maryland Democrats are choosing their U.S. House nominees in a handful of consequential and contentious primaries Tuesday, including a battle between a congresswoman and her predecessor and a crowded race to replace retiring Rep. Steny Hoyer.
And as rising party star Wes Moore seeks a second term as governor, Republican voters hope to return the state to GOP leadership by picking a candidate they think can unseat him.
The primaries in the left-leaning East Coast state have an outsize impact, in many cases determining who is likely to win in heavily partisan districts this fall. Seven of Maryland's eight congressional districts are represented by Democrats, and one by a Republican.
That dynamic and Hoyer’s departure have attracted big spending and some familiar names to the most-watched Democratic primaries.
Among them is Harry Dunn, a former police officer who defended the U.S. Capitol from the riot on Jan. 6, 2021. He is running for Hoyer's seat on a platform that includes protecting democracy.
Some races became proxy fights about how Democrats should behave in the current political climate. Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson faces a tough primary challenge for the first time in years from a progressive who criticized his decision to block a midcycle redistricting attempt.
The lead-up to Election Day has had some hiccups. Last month, the State Board of Elections had to resend mail-in ballots to some voters in the closed primary after a vendor error caused some to receive a ballot for the wrong party.
President Donald Trump seized on the issue, falsely claiming that Moore illegally sent the ballots to ensure victory for Democrats. The state administrator of elections derided him for spreading misinformation.
Two dozen candidates compete to replace a Democratic fixture
As the longest-serving House Democrat and the longtime party No. 2 in the chamber, Hoyer is nothing short of an institution.
His retirement gives Maryland voters a chance to reflect on that leadership — and decide whether they want more of the same or a change of pace.
Offering a degree of continuity is Adrian Boafo, a former Hoyer field director and campaign manager who was endorsed by the congressman, Moore and other prominent Democrats. The state delegate has drawn tech and cryptocurrency donations, and a major pro-Israel super PAC spent some $1 million to boost his campaign.
Others, such as Dunn and progressive attorney Wala Blegay, are proposing change. Both Dunn and Blegay, who are vocally pro-Palestinian, criticized Boafo for getting help from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s super PAC and other special interests.
The best-funded candidate in the race for the 5th District is Quincy Bareebe, a home healthcare CEO who funneled more than $3 million of her own money into the primary. Twenty-four Democratic candidates are on the ballot.
“I just love what she is doing in the community,” said Michelle Green, 59, who voted for Bareebe.
A registered nurse, Green said Hoyer’s endorsement of a different candidate did not hold sway. “I just figured that they were all in the same bed together.”
The grandmother also expressed a common theme among Prince George’s County voters on Tuesday that people needed to protect the right to vote by voting. “We should be progressing, not coming back,” she said.
Rodrick Greensword, 58, and his wife Natasha Greensword, 45, both voted for Moore in the gubernatorial primary and Boafo to be the nominee to replace Hoyer.
“We know the governor is governed by the pillars on which his culture is built,” and he will work for the people, making moral and humane choices, Natasha Greensword said.
She said Boafo seemed to share the same values as Moore and Hoyer. She added that she thought Hoyer’s endorsement helped as well.
A freshman in Congress gets a challenge from her predecessor
Former Democratic Rep. David Trone left his seat representing the sprawling 6th District in 2024. After an unsuccessful Senate bid, he wants it back.
The face-off between Trone and the current officeholder, Democratic Rep. April McClain Delaney, has been expensive and contentious. Trone, the wealthy founder of Total Wine & More, lent his campaign some $25 million of his own money, while McClain Delaney lent herself over $7 million.
Trone has criticized McClain Delaney on immigration. She was the only Maryland Democrat in Congress to vote for the Laken Riley Act, named after a Georgia student whose killing became an anti-immigrant rallying cry for Republicans.
The GOP still has no obvious heir to Hogan
Maryland used to have a moderately conservative governor in Larry Hogan. In the years since he left office in 2023, Republicans have yet to find a clear successor.
In the GOP gubernatorial primary, nine candidates ranging from a Trump acolyte to a former Democrat are vying for the chance to stop Moore from being reelected.
Dan Cox, an attorney and former state delegate who unsuccessfully ran for governor four years ago, is one of the candidates who leans further right. Cox has a photo of himself with Trump on his law practice’s website, and he has pledged to slash taxes and beef up housing affordability programs if elected.
Jason Mangen, a lifelong Republican, said he was supporting Cox because he was concerned about the state's budget, which has struggled with shortfalls over the years.
“You look at the economy and hopefully get a governor who can guide the legislature and get a good budget," he said. "I think Dan Cox is good on the budget.”
On the other side of the spectrum is Ed Hale, a retired banking executive who owns the Baltimore Blast soccer team and switched from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party for this race. There are also various candidates in the political middle.
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Associated Press reporter Gary Fields contributed from Bowie, Maryland. Swenson reported from New York and Kruesi reported from Providence, Rhode Island.
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