Former Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker Files to Run in MD-05

Rushern L. Baker III filed to enter the Democratic primary for Maryland’s 5th Congressional District to seek the seat of retiring Rep. Steny Hoyer, a filing reported after the February 24 candidate deadline and described by Maryland Matters as one of the late surprises on a busy filing day. The move puts the former two-term Prince George’s County Executive back into a contest that has drawn dozens of hopefuls.

The seat Hoyer is vacating spans parts of Prince George’s and Anne Arundel Counties and includes all of Charles, St. Mary’s, and Calvert counties in Southern Maryland, a district Yahoo described as solidly Democratic. Hoyer, 86, has represented the district for more than 40 years and served twice as House Majority Leader, creating an open contest that multiple Democrats see as a rare opportunity.

Maryland Matters’ filing-day account, timestamped Feb. 25, 2026 at 1:11 a.m., reported Baker’s entry as part of a larger filing surge that included roughly 70 candidates for legislative or congressional posts that day. Maryland Matters noted, “A total of 30 candidates have signed up for Hoyer’s seat, 24 of them Democrats,” and called Baker’s late filing “a moment of drama on an otherwise sleepy deadline day for candidates to file in the 2026 election.”

After submitting his candidacy, Baker told WUSA9’s Alexis Wainwright, “Bringing those years of experience to the challenges we face today is the reason I decided to run for this position. So I think that’s what it is, it’s about immediately having an impact on people’s lives.” WUSA9 and Yahoo framed his entry as adding name recognition and local executive experience to an already crowded Democratic field.

Archival records from the Maryland State Archives show Baker served as Prince George’s County Executive from December 6, 2010 to December 3, 2018 as the county’s seventh executive, preceded by Jack B. Johnson and succeeded by Angela Alsobrooks. MSA Maryland also records his service in the Maryland House of Delegates from August 11, 1994 to January 8, 2003 representing District 22B, his Howard University degrees (B.A. in history, 1982; J.D., 1986), and his service as a captain in the U.S. Army Reserves JAG Corps from 1987 to 2001.

Baker’s recent electoral history includes several high-profile primary losses: the 2018 Democratic nomination for governor won by Ben Jealous, the 2022 Democratic nomination won by Wes Moore, and a 2025 attempt to return as Prince George’s County Executive, when he lost to Aisha Braveboy, as reported by WUSA9 and Yahoo.

The Democratic field for MD-5 already lists named contenders including Del. Adrian Boafo, Prince George’s County Councilmember Wala Blegay, and former U.S. Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn. Yahoo reported that Hoyer endorsed Del. Adrian Boafo shortly after Boafo announced his candidacy in January, adding an early high-profile endorsement in the race.

Filing-day drama extended beyond Baker’s entry. Maryland Matters reported that Sen. Pamela Beidle, 74, withdrew her name at the deadline and tapped Del. Mark Chang, who refiled for the Senate minutes before the deadline after only a few hours’ notice. The official filing receipt and timestamp from the Maryland State Board of Elections will determine the formal record of Baker’s filing and will confirm the final candidate list for Maryland’s 5th Congressional District.