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U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin announced on May 1 that he won’t seek reelection in 2024, creating a rare open seat that’s likely to be competitive.
Here’s where potential candidates stand — those who are in, who are considering and at least one popular Marylander who is firmly in the “not running” camp.
Democrats
Angela Alsobrooks — IN: The second-term Prince George’s County executive joined the race on May 9 with a dramatic ad opening with her talking about her great-grandfather’s murder that forced her family to flee South Carolina for Maryland. The ad goes on to talk about her accomplishments as state’s attorney and county executive in Maryland’s second-most-populous county. She hints at her unique status in the race as a Black woman, noting in the ad, “Look, I get it: There aren’t a lot of people who look like me in the U.S. Senate.”
Alsobrooks is well-regarded within the Democratic Party and her endorsement last year of Wes Moore helped him win the party’s nomination for governor.
David Trone — IN: The congressman from Montgomery County jumped into the race, launching his campaign on May 3 with a message that he’s best positioned to address challenges including opioid addiction, lack of access to mental and behavioral healthcare, a “broken” criminal justice system, lack of jobs and “MAGA extremists” who “threaten to tear down our democracy.”
Trone, the founder of Total Wine & More, is expected to invest considerable funds from his personal wealth into the race. In a launch video, he noted that he hasn’t taken donations from lobbyists or political action committees. He followed up his launch with a seven-figure statewide ad campaign across digital, cable and broadcast platforms.
Will Jawando — IN: The Montgomery County Councilman was first out of the gates, launching his candidacy the day after Cardin announced his plans. In a launch video posted online, Jawando talked about “the big lie” that “pits neighbors against neighbors” and sows division. He also talked about his efforts to improve affordable housing and “take on racial injustice” on the Montgomery council.
Jamie Raskin — OUT: The high-profile congressman from Montgomery County announced Friday night that he won’t jump into the race, after publicly mulling a run. In an email to supporters, Raskin said he thinks the best way he can make a difference in American politics and defend democracy is to run for reelection to the U.S. House of Representatives. He also plans to “go anywhere in America” to promote the reelection of President Joe Biden and Democrats.
“I want to assure everyone that I will do whatever I need to do to see to it that our new Senator will be a Democrat and that our Senator will be a strong true-blue Democrat with broad support in our state,” Raskin wrote.
Raskin played a key role in impeachment proceedings against then-President Donald Trump and is the top Democrat on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee. He would be in line for the chairmanship, should he win reelection as expected and Democrats retake the majority in the House.
Raskin initially said he’d take until the end of May to decide, then pushed his decision date back to at July 4. “The election is a year and a half away,” he said on CNN on June 4.
Johnny Olszewski Jr. — OUT: The Baltimore County executive, now in his second term, gave some consideration to a run, but announced in mid-May that he won’t run. Olszewski instead is putting his support behind Alsobrooks, who’s been racking up endorsements from many elected Democrats. Without Olszewski in the race, there’s no candidate from the Baltimore region.
“I have found her to be hardworking, laser-focused on progress and always grounded in the communities she serves. She has a passion not just for the work, but for the people she’s helping,” Olszewski said as he endorsed Alsobrooks outside the Randallstown Community Center on May 15.
Jerome Segal — IN: The Socialist philosopher and frequent candidate also quickly announced his campaign. He ran in the Democratic primary for Senate in 2018 against Cardin and several others, getting just 3.4% of the vote. And then he ran for governor last year and finished second-to-last among 10 Democrats in the primary.
Republicans
Larry Hogan — OUT: The former governor has been courted to run for Senate, but has said repeatedly that he’s not interested. After opting out of a run for president as a Republican, however, Hogan hasn’t announced what his next steps will be in politics.
Michael Steele — CONSIDERING: A former lieutenant governor, Steele ran for Senate once before in 2006 and lost to Cardin, 54%-44%. He’s since become a political pundit on MSNBC. Steele considered re-entering elective politics last year with a potential run for governor, but ended up sticking with TV. Could he restart his political career with another run for Senate?
Robin Ficker — IN: The frequent candidate from Montgomery County filed to run for the seat in January. His most recent campaign was for governor in 2022, when he earned 3.8% of the vote in the Republican primary. He also lost his license to practice law last year after officials found he had repeatedly no-showed on his clients and failed to prepare their cases.
Independents
Cal Ripken Jr. — OUT: The Orioles legend’s name has been floated periodically as a candidate for various offices, but the Ironman said through a spokesman that he’s flattered but not interested. “No politics for Cal,” said spokesman John Maroon.
This article will be updated.
pamela.wood@thebaltimorebanner.com
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Pamela Wood covers Maryland politics and government. She previously reported for The Baltimore Sun, The Capital and other Maryland newspapers. A graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park, she lives in northern Anne Arundel County.
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