Maryland county council member launches campaign for Cardin’s seat

Montgomery County councilmember Will Jawando announced on Tuesday he’s running for Sen. Ben Cardin’s (D-Md.) seat, becoming the first Democrat to officially wade into Maryland’s U.S. Senate race.

“There’s a big lie in America, but it’s not about Donald Trump or his delusions that he won the election,” Jawando said in a one-minute campaign ad. “The real big lie — the one you feel every day that pits neighbors against neighbors — is the one that says for me to do well, you have to do worse. That we can’t take care of each other and still prosper. That if some people get ahead, everyone else has to be left behind.”

“Well, I spent the last four years on the Montgomery County Council, serving over a million Marylanders fighting to get rents down, build more affordable housing, and take on racial injustice to prove that lie wrong,” he continued. Jawando said he’s running “because I believe we can build a shared prosperity in Maryland that lifts everyone up. And that really would be big.”

Jawando’s Senate campaign launch comes one day after The Baltimore Sun first reported Cardin would not seek reelection. Several Democrats who have been widely floated as potential Senate contenders to replace Cardin include Reps. David Trone (D-Md.) and Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks (D).

Meanwhile, there’s been some speculation that former Gov. Larry Hogan (R) could launch a bid for the seat on the Republican side. Hogan said last month that he would not be running for the GOP presidential nomination amid much speculation, though he’s left the option open to running as a third-party candidate. 

Senate Democrats this cycle will be playing defense as they look to keep their 51-49 majority in the upper chamber, which includes three Democrats in states former President Trump won in 2020: Sens. Joe Manchin (W.Va.), Jon Tester (Mont.) and Sherrod Brown (Ohio).

Tester and Brown have announced reelection runs, but Manchin has not yet said whether he’ll run for another term.