Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) said he is actively considering a Senate bid and will take the month of May to decide on his future plans.
“After five months of chemo, I am taking the month of May to seriously investigate the 2024 election, the Senate, the House, and the role I can best play in Democratic victory and progress in the country,” Raskin told Time.
HERE ARE THE DEMOCRATS WHO COULD BE WEIGHING A BID TO REPLACE CARDIN IN THE SENATE
Raskin’s comments come days after Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) announced he would not be running for reelection, setting the stage for what is likely to be a competitive Democratic primary to replace the three-term incumbent. Cardin’s retirement announcement has already attracted two candidates vying to replace him, including Rep. David Trone (D-MD) and Montgomery County Councilman Will Jawando.
Should Raskin enter the race, he would benefit from the name recognition he earned after becoming the manager for former President Donald Trump’s second impeachment in 2021 and serving on the Jan. 6 committee in the last Congress.
Since then, Raskin has become one of the top Democrats in the House as the ranking member on the powerful House Oversight Committee. That position would make him first in line to become committee chairman if Democrats won control of the House in 2024, possibly weighing in as a factor as he decides his future plans.
A Senate bid for Raskin would also position him for a rematch against Trone, who launched his campaign on Thursday. Raskin previously defeated Trone in the Democratic primary for his current House seat in 2016.
The open Democratic primary may also attract Angela Alsobrooks, the county executive for Prince George’s County. The local Democrat has also been stacking up her staff lately, raising the possibility that she may be considering a run.
Most notably, Alsobrooks has reportedly hired Dave Chase, who managed the campaign for former Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan’s unsuccessful Senate bid in 2022, to manage her campaign decisions.
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Alsobrooks has previously suggested she’d be interested in running for the Senate, telling reporters in February that it would be “an amazing opportunity to represent the state.” However, she did not hint at whether she’d launch a bid in her congratulatory message to Cardin on Monday.
Meanwhile, a handful of Republicans are also rumored to be considering a Senate run, with many looking to former Gov. Larry Hogan to announce a bid. GOP leaders sought to convince Hogan to run for Senate during the midterm elections, but Hogan declined.