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Fort Meade, Md. 8/17/11 Staff Photo by Brian Krista U.S. Congressman John Sarbanes addresses the guests in attendance for the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Defense Adjudication Activities facility in Fort Meade, Md., on Wednesday, August 17, 2011. The new building will be home to ten government agencies and nearly 800 employees.
2024 Elections 

In a HUGE surprise, Rep. John Sarbanes (D) Announces Retirement

Annapolitics Staff

Photo credit: Fort George G. Meade Public Affairs Office

...I have decided not to seek re-election in 2024. While I am making this announcement today — specifically for the benefit of candidates interested in running for my seat in next year’s election — I’m not going anywhere for the next fourteen months. That’s what’s left in my term and I’m committed to finishing strong…

Rep. John Sarbanes

Rep. John Sarbanes (D) shocked the political world this week when he announced that he will not run for re-election in 2024, citing his desire to dedicate more time to community work from outside of public office. At 61 years old, Sarbanes is the second-youngest representative in the U.S. House from Maryland, with Rep. Jamie Raskin being the youngest. In a state where members of Congress can serve more or less indefinitely, most observers expected Sarbanes to serve for another decade or more. There was even talk this year of him running for the Senate seat being vacated by Ben Cardin, although that speculation ultimately amounted to nothing.

Current U.S. House Delegation from Maryland:

Rep. Sarbanes will still serve out the remaining 14 months of his current term, but his retirement will open the floodgates for state politicians looking to take the step up and serve at the federal level. Since all state senators’ and delegates’ current terms run through 2026, they do not risk losing their current seats to make a bid for Congress.

The now-open district contains northern Anne Arundel County including Annapolis, all of Howard County, and southern Carroll County. This area has a strong Democratic lean, especially in recent years, so the winner of what is certain to be a hotly-contested Democratic Party primary will be strongly favored in the general election.

Current map of Maryland’s 3rd congressional district. Source: Wikipedia

Following the retirement announcement, tributes began pouring in for the nine-term Congressman. There will be plenty of time later to speculate on who could run to succeed him, but that list would probably include several of the personalities below.