Ben Cardin, longtime Democratic senator in Maryland, declares retirement

Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin is bowing out of a 2024 reelection race, ending a virtually 60-year profession and opening up a U.S. Senate seat in deeply Democratic Maryland.

“I am proud of all I have done for Maryland,” Mr. Cardin, 79, mentioned. “I have given my heart and soul to our great state, and I thank Marylanders for trusting me as your representative for all these years.”

A Democrat from town of Baltimore, Mr. Cardin was first elected to the Senate in 2006 when he defeated the state Lt. Gov. Michael Steele, a Republican. Mr. Cardin simply secured reelection in 2012 and 2018.

Mr. Cardin has chaired the Senate Small Business Committee for the previous two years. He mentioned he hopes to make use of the panel over the following two years to assist Maryland, regardless of not searching for reelection.

“I will continue to travel around the state, listening to Marylanders and responding to their needs,” he mentioned. “My top priorities include continuing our progress for the Chesapeake Bay, helping the people of Baltimore City deal with the challenges they face, and permanently expanding opportunities for telehealth, mental and behavioral health.”

A longtime fixture in Maryland politics, Mr. Cardin represented Baltimore and its suburbs for 20 years within the U.S. House of Representatives. Before that, he was a member of the Maryland House of Delegates, the place he served as speaker between 1979 and 1987.

“There’s only one Ben Cardin, and he will continue to build on his legacy for the remainder of his term,” Rep. David Trone, Maryland Democrat, mentioned. “When he departs, all of us will miss his leadership.”

The National Republican Senatorial Committee was fast to color Mr. Cardin’s exit as a consequence of the tough political map going through Democrats in 2024 as they attempt to preserve their slim 51-seat majority throughout the Senate.

Democrats are defending weak seats in reliably pink states like Ohio, Montana, and West Virginia. They even have incumbents up for reelection in prime swing states, together with Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan.

“Democrats are quickly realizing that the Senate won’t be any fun for them when Republicans retake the majority in 2024,” NRSC spokesman Tate Mitchell mentioned.

While the steadiness of energy is up for grabs within the Senate, Democrats don’t count on any hassle holding onto Maryland. President Biden gained the state by greater than 33 proportion factors in 2020.

Although no candidate has but to announce for Mr. Cardin, Maryland’s congressional delegation is stuffed with potential senators. Apart from Mr. Trone, Democratic Reps. John Sarbanes, Kwesi Mfume, and Jamie Raskin are all seen as robust contenders in the event that they select to run.

Mr. Mfume, a former CEO of the NAACP, misplaced a detailed Democratic major for the seat to Mr. Cardin in 2006. Mr. Cardin’s nephew, state Delegate John Cardin, can also be seen as a possible candidate.