Senator Ben Cordin of Maryland is a longtime Democrat. He announced his retirement on Monday. That clears the way for more competitive primaries to replace him in 2024, especially among Democrats in deep-blue states.
The state’s liberal-leaning electorate hasn’t sent a Republican to the U.S. Senate since 1980, and the GOP has just one member of the eight-member congressional delegation.
“I contested my last election and won’t vote in 2024, but there’s still a lot of work to be done,” Mr. Cardin said in a statement. “Over the next two years, I will continue to travel the state, listening to Marylanders and responding to their needs.”
Mr. Cardin’s replacement includes top Democrats from the Maryland Democratic Party, including Reps. Jamie Ruskin and David Drone, and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks.
On the Republican side, there is already speculation about Larry Hogan, the popular former governor, who said in March that he would not run for president.
In 2006, Mr. Cardin’s election makes him the third direct representative to the chamber from Maryland’s third congressional district. The House seat is now held by Mr. John Sarbanes, son of Cardin’s predecessor, Senator Paul Sarbanes, holds the seat.
Majority Leader Senator Chuck Schumer last month tapped Mr. Named Cardin, who is on leave recovering from singles, but Republicans blocked the move. Without his vote, Democrats could not advance stalled judicial appointments.
In a video about his retirement that he recorded with his wife, Myrna Cardin, Mr. Cardin touched on the highlights of a career that included Magnitsky enforcing sanctions, international penalties for human rights abuses, and environmental protections for the Chesapeake Bay.
Much of his motivation through his career, Mr. Cardin said in the video that he “returns to tzedakah, part of our Jewish heritage to help the less fortunate.”
Luke Broadwater Contributed report.
