Prince George’s shapes crowded race for Maryland’s 5th District seat

Prince George’s County is at the center of Maryland’s open 5th Congressional District race, where 24 Democrats are raising and spending money for the June 23 primary. The contest comes after Steny Hoyer chose not to seek reelection following 45 years in Congress, and it has turned the county into one of the key battlegrounds in a district that also reaches Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s counties and parts of Anne Arundel.

For Prince George’s voters, the crowded field matters because several of the best-known candidates already have deep ties in county politics. Delegate Adrian Boafo, County Councilmember Wala Blegay and former County Executive Rushern Baker all bring local name recognition and established political networks. Other Democrats in the race include Harry Dunn, Arthur Ellis, Reuben Collins II, Alexis Solis and Nicole Williams, giving voters a long list to sort through before ballots are cast.

The race is also shaping up as a test of what kind of Democrat will represent the district. Analysts have said voters are likely to pick a more progressive nominee than Hoyer, and the district’s registration makes that primary outcome especially important. Democrats outnumber Republicans by about 2.5 to 1, so the June 23 primary is effectively the deciding election in a district where the Democratic nominee will have the clearest path to Washington.

That makes the final stretch of early voting crucial. Maryland’s State Board of Elections says early voting runs from Thursday, June 11, through Thursday, June 18, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and voters may cast ballots at any early voting center in the county where they live. With the calendar compressed, candidate visibility, endorsements and turnout operations are likely to carry extra weight in Prince George’s neighborhoods and across the rest of the district.

Hoyer’s endorsement of Boafo, his former campaign manager, gives one of the county’s most familiar names a notable boost in a field crowded with local Democrats. The endorsement may matter in a race where a few thousand votes in Prince George’s could help determine which candidate carries the county’s concerns on transportation, housing, infrastructure and economic development.

The race has already forced hard choices. Nicole Williams suspended her campaign in May, citing the cost of competing in such a crowded primary, a sign of how expensive and unpredictable this open-seat contest has become. For Prince George’s, the outcome will help decide not just who fills Hoyer’s seat, but which version of the county’s federal voice reaches Congress next.