Maryland state Del. Adrian Boafo emerged as the winner in the crowded Democratic primary to replace retiring Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) on Tuesday night in Maryland’s 5th Congressional District.
The Democratic primary race for the deep-blue seat east of Washington, D.C., saw $12.5 million spent by outside groups, making it one of the most expensive House primaries in the country. The race was also one of the most crowded in the country. After Hoyer, 87, announced he would be retiring at the end of his term, over 20 candidates threw their hats in the ring in the Democratic race to replace him.
Boafo, who boasted Hoyer’s endorsement, won the race with 32.2% of the vote on Tuesday evening with 43% of votes counted, according to the Associated Press. Small-business owner Quincy Bareebe placed second with 18.7% of the vote, while former U.S. Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn placed third with 13.7% of the vote.
The Democratic primary drew major outside spending from groups like the pro-crypto super PAC Protect Progress and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s United Democracy Project, becoming one of the most hot-button issues in the race. The spending for Boafo received intense scrutiny from the winner’s fellow primary candidates, with Bareebe, Dunn, and former state delegate Rushern Baker III holding a joint press conference to call on Boafo to reject the money.
“I’ve been on the record about condemning outside spending for a very long time,” Boafo said in response to the criticism.
Boafo, Hoyer’s former campaign manager, also boasted endorsements from Gov. Wes Moore (D-MD) and Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD). He focused his campaign on fighting the Trump administration and affordability issues, following the 2026 Democratic playbook. Boafo campaigned on raising ideas like the federal minimum wage, universal healthcare, and abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
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Boafo is likely set to face off against Republican candidate Chris Chaffee, who was leading in the Republican primary by nearly 20 percentage points when the race was called for Boafo with 60% of the vote tallied.
Hoyer defeated Republican candidate Michelle Talkington, who is trailing Chaffee in the current House race, in the 2024 general election for the seat by a 35.8 percentage point margin. Hoyer has held his seat in Congress since 1981.