Hoyer congratulates Boafo after Democratic primary win in Fifth District

Steny Hoyer congratulated Adrian Boafo after the Prince George's County delegate won the Democratic primary for Maryland’s Fifth Congressional District, setting up a generational handoff in a seat Hoyer held for 45 years. Boafo, 32, emerged as the projected winner Tuesday night after a crowded primary that put 23 Democrats and three Republicans on the ballot.

Hoyer’s exit, announced Jan. 8, ended a House career that began in 1981 and made him one of the most powerful Democrats in Washington, including two stints totaling eight years as House majority leader. For Prince George's County, the question now is whether Boafo can turn a first-term campaign into the kind of congressional influence Hoyer built through decades of seniority and leadership.

Boafo ran as a Maryland state delegate from Prince George's County and as a former Hoyer campaign manager, a background that gave him both local roots and insider ties to the departing congressman. His primary field included former Prince George's County Executive Rushern Baker and former Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn, while the district stretched from northern Prince George's and western Anne Arundel County through Charles, Calvert and St. Mary's counties.

The race drew unusual national money for a district that is overwhelmingly Democratic. Outside groups, including United Democracy Project and Protect Progress, spent millions backing Boafo, and Sen. Chris Van Hollen called that spending “obscene.” Hoyer’s endorsement was a major boost for Boafo with some voters, while others said it turned them off.

Boafo now heads into a general election that is expected to favor Democrats heavily, making the broader contest less about party control than about what kind of representation Prince George's County will have when Hoyer’s era fully closes. Residents from Bowie to the county’s northern edge will be watching whether Boafo can convert campaign momentum, and Hoyer’s blessing, into lasting clout for Southern Maryland in Washington.