Maryland county councilor drops out of Democratic Maryland Senate primary

Montgomery County councilmember Will Jawando announced Friday that he is dropping out of the race to replace outgoing Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.). 

Jawando said he could “no longer see a path for myself to victory,” in a crowded primary field led by Rep. David Trone (D-Md.) and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks.

“I’m proud of the race we’ve run. At the core of my campaign has always been this commitment; to build a shared prosperity that lifts everybody up, no matter who you are or where you come from,” he said in a statement. “This is what we’ve done each and every day on the trail.”

He was the first Democrat to announce a campaign for the seat back in May. The announcement came just a day after Cardin said he would not run for reelection.

Jawando also fell behind Trone and Alsobrooks in fundraising.

He raised about $750,000 during the campaign, compared to Alsobrooks’ $3.25 million and Trone’s nearly $10 million hauls over the same campaign period, according to federal campaign finance documents.

The race does not have a significant Republican candidate.

“I am sorry for those who will find this news disappointing — believe me, I am also disappointed,” Jawando said. “But I am not going anywhere! I will continue serving the people of Maryland no matter what.”

The Maryland Senate primary will be held on May 14.