Rep. David Trone to Run for Open Senate Seat in Maryland

Three term incumbent Rep. David Trone (MD-06) is entering the race for U.S. Senate in Maryland. He is looking to succeed fellow Democrat Ben Cardin, who announced his retirement earlier this week. 

Trone, who has made a fortune as the co-founder of the nation's largest independent wine retailer, is the second candidate in the race. Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando jumped into the race Tuesday.  According to the New York Times, the race for the Democratic nomination "could also draw Angela Alsobrooks, the Prince George’s County executive who is seen as a rising star in the state, and Representative Jamie Raskin". 

Maryland's 6th district covers the western part of the state. Trone defeated Republican Neil Parrott in 2020 and again in 2022. It was made more competitive in recent redistricting, after a court invalidated the gerrymandered plan originally approved by the Legislature. That can be seen in the results across those two years, with Trone's winning margin dropping from 20% to 10%.

Trone is the 11th current House member - 8 Democrats and 3 Republicans - to forego reelection in 2024. One of these, Democrat David Cicilline (RI-01) is resigning at the end of this month to head up a non-profit organization. Republican Victoria Spartz (IN-05) is retiring. The other nine are all seeking a promotion to U.S. Senate.