Trone Becomes Second Democratic Candidate In MD's U.S. Senate Race

U.S. Rep. David Trone (D-6th) on Thursday became the second major Democratic candidate to join the race to replace U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (D) in 2024.

Trone released a 90-second video and news release Thursday morning, vowing to build on Cardin’s fulsome legacy.

“Marylanders need real solutions now, because we face major challenges — and the clock is ticking,” Trone said in a statement. “Opioids and substance use disorders are crushing families and communities. A mental health crisis, especially among our children, has left too many who need help struggling to find it. And it’s getting harder and harder to pay the bills on an honest day’s work. Our criminal justice system is broken. Big pharmaceutical companies are jacking up prices. Access to abortion is under attack. And MAGA extremists threaten to tear down our democracy.

“That’s why I’m running for U.S. Senate: to work with Marylanders, to take on these challenges, and to take the bold steps necessary to make real change. Because this is not about me — it’s about the issues that are facing our state.”

The accompanying video contains a ticking stopwatch, underscoring the urgency of the moment.
Earlier this week, Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando (D) released a video announcing his intention to run.

Related: Will Jawando, Montgomery Co. Councilman, To Seek Cardin's Senate Seat

In Trone's ad, the 67-year-old congressman, serving his third term in the House, leans into his humble roots as a man whose father’s Pennsylvania farm was foreclosed by a bank. He also discusses his bipartisan work in Congress spotlighting such issues as drug abuse, mental health and criminal justice reform. And he talks about his own personal commitments to restorative justice and charitable work.

“We learned there’s no shame in asking for help — but there is in not helping,” he says.

Undergirding Trone’s campaign is his immeasurable wealth: He’s the co-founder of a national liquor store chain, and he’s capable of spending tens of millions of dollars of his own money on the campaign — a formidable sum that no other candidate will come close to matching. Trone has also been a major donor to Democratic candidates and causes, educational programs and advocacy groups. Still, he attempts to cast himself as a political outsider in his video.

“By bringing people together, I’d like to think I’ve made headway, but it’s not enough."