Maryland Democrats chose state Del. Adrian Boafo on Tuesday to advance to November's general election in the race to succeed his retiring former boss, U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer, opting for a continuation of Hoyer's pragmatic style of politics over a more progressive, antiestablishment approach promised by some other candidates.
Boafo, a 32-year-old state delegate, received key endorsements from Hoyer, Gov. Wes Moore and other prominent Democrats, along
with donations from tech firms and the cryptocurrency industry. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s super PAC also spent more than $1 million backing him.
Meanwhile rising party star Gov. Wes Moore won the Democratic primary in his bid for reelection to a second term. 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 are set to have an outsize impact. In many cases they will determine 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 attracted big spending and some familiar names to the most-watched Democratic primaries.
Among them was Harry Dunn, a former police officer who defended the U.S. Capitol from the riot on Jan. 6, 2021. He ran on a platform that included protecting democracy.
Some races became proxy fights about how Democrats should behave in the current political climate. Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson faced 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.
As the longest-serving House Democrat and the longtime party No. 2 in the chamber, Hoyer is nothing short of an institution.
His retirement gave voters in the 5th District a chance to reflect on that leadership, and they ultimately decided they wanted more of the same.
Natasha Greensword, 45, and her husband Rodrick Greensword, 58, both voted for Moore in the gubernatorial primary and for Boafo to be the nominee to succeed 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.
Other candidates, such as Dunn and progressive attorney Wala Blegay, proposed 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 was Quincy Bareebe, a home healthcare CEO who funneled more than $3 million of her own money into the primary.
“I just love what she is doing in the community,” said Michelle Green, 59, who voted for Bareebe.
Green also expressed a common theme among Prince George’s County voters: that people need to protect the right to vote by voting. “We should be progressing, not coming back,” she said.
In all, 24 Democratic candidates were on the ballot.
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, was 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 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.
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 Tuesday's GOP gubernatorial primary, Dan Cox, an attorney and former state delegate who unsuccessfully ran for governor four years ago, won the nomination.
Cox leaned the furthest right out of the nine candidates in the race. He has a photo of himself with Trump on his law practice’s website, and he pledged to slash taxes and beef up housing affordability programs if elected.
Jason Mangen, a lifelong Republican, said he backed Cox because he was concerned about the state's budget, which has seen shortfalls over the years.
“You look at the economy, and hopefully get a governor who can guide the legislature and get a good budget,” Mangen said. “I think Dan Cox is good on the budget.”
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Swenson reported from New York, and Kruesi from Providence, Rhode Island. Associated Press writer Gary Fields in Bowie, Maryland, contributed.
