Laurie-Anne Sayles Running To Fill 6th Congressional District Seat

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD — Laurie-Anne Sayles, an at-large member of the Montgomery County Council, announced that she was running in the 2024 Democratic primary in the 6th Congressional District race.

“I was born and raised in Maryland by parents who immigrated from Jamaica with nothing in their pocket," Sayles said, in a statement released by her campaign. "My father was deployed overseas in the military, and my mother worked two jobs and ran a small business while raising six kids. As a single mother, I put myself through college while building a career in public health, so I know hard work. But too many things are too hard for people, and we need leaders in Washington who will stand up to MAGA Republicans and fight for our economy, our rights, and our Democracy."

Elected in 2017 to the Gaithersburg City Council, Sayles was the first Black woman elected to that council. She achieved that same distinction in 2022 when she was elected as an at-large member to the Montgomery County Council. Currently, Maryland's delegation to Congress does not have any women or women of color.

“Throughout my career, I have fought for better schools, worked to make housing more affordable, helped women in states where abortion is banned, and grown our economy by supporting funding to get small businesses back on their feet after the pandemic and create an education pipeline to grow our workforce," Sayles said. "These are the same fights and priorities I’ll bring to Congress."

A life-long resident of Maryland, Sayles has worked with Montgomery County Young Democrats, the National Association of Counties, the Maryland Municipal League, and the National League of Cities.

Sayles is not the first Democrat to announce their candidacy in the 6th Congressional District race. She will face Del. Leslie Lopez (District 39), Tekesha Martinez, Stephen McDow, Joel Rubin, Del. Joe Vogel (District 17), and Destiny West.

The winner of the Democratic primary will represent their party in the Nov. 5, 2024 election.

Five Republicans have already entered the race to be their party's nominee on the November 2024 ballot. Health Barnes, Chris Hyser, former Del. Neil Parrott (District 2A), and state Sen. Brenda Thiam are running in the GOP primary, which is also on May 14, 2024.

The 6th Congressional District's current representative to Congress, David Trone, is running in the May 14, 2024 Democratic primary for election to the U.S. Senate. Trone's current term in Congress ends in January 2025.

The district includes parts of Montgomery County, and all of Garrett, Allegany, Washington, and Frederick counties.