Former Democratic Rep. David Trone has jumped into the race to retake his old Maryland House seat, primarying Rep. April McClain Delaney (D-MD), who succeeded him in the district after he unsuccessfully ran for Senate in 2024.
Trone, cofounder of Total Wine & More, filed for reelection Thursday, according to the Federal Election Commission website. The 70-year-old served in Congress from 2019 to 2024 before he launched his campaign for the upper chamber.
“Watching Trump and Republicans’ assault on our democracy — weaponizing the government
and tearing apart families — is intolerable and goes against everything we stand for,” Trone said in a statement announcing his bid. “Our fundamental freedoms are being dismantled piece by piece. The people of Maryland’s 6th District need a fighter who will stand up against these attacks every single day. I’ve never been someone who stood on the sidelines when I saw something wrong, and now more than ever, I cannot sit by. That’s why I’m running for Congress.”
Trone fought in a competitive primary against then-Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks for the seat of retiring Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin. Trone threw over $60 million of his own money into the primary battle, but ultimately lost to Alsobrooks.
McClain Delaney narrowly defeated her Republican opponent, Neil Parrott, last year to represent Maryland’s 6th Congressional District. The congresswoman’s husband, former Rep. John Delaney (D-MD), previously represented the district from 2013 to 2019.
“David Trone thinks I should ‘step aside’ so he can have his old office back after he abandoned the district to run and lose for Senate. He has the arrogance of a [President Donald] Trump,” she wrote in a statement to the Washington Examiner. “But not so fast. On behalf of my district, I stand up to bullies. That’s why I’ll continue to take on Trump’s assault on our government workers, defend our diverse community, protect choice and women’s reproductive rights and work against inflation-creating tariffs.”
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Every race will be crucial in 2026, as House Republicans hold one of the slimmest margins in U.S. history. Democrats remain on the defensive, with 37 seats rated as competitive compared to the 29 GOP seats marked as competitive. Historically, the House flips to the party opposite the White House during midterm elections, as it has for the last five presidencies.
The Washington Examiner reached out to Trone’s team for comment.