The race is on: Local lawmaker is first to announce candidacy to replace Cardin
Cami Mondeaux
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Montgomery County Councilman Will Jawando has announced a bid to replace Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) for Maryland’s Senate seat, making the local lawmaker the first to enter the fray in what is expected to be a crowded Democratic primary.
Jawando launched his campaign Tuesday morning, sharing his story and rise to politics that he says would be used to bridge voices across the aisle. His campaign announcement comes one day after Cardin announced he would not seek a fourth term, leaving a Senate seat open in the blue state for the first time since 2016.
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“There’s a Big Lie in America — and it’s not about the 2020 election. It’s the idea that for some to get ahead, others have to be left behind,” Jawando tweeted. “Today, I’m launching a campaign for U.S. Senate because we need more progressive champions to squash the Big Lie and fight for you.”
As the son of a Nigerian immigrant father and white mother, Jawando reflected on his experience as a second-generation U.S. citizen and his early experiences with systemic racism. Jawando recalled growing up in Prince George’s County, where he spent much of his time at his mother’s work in Silver Spring.
“Silver Spring, where I spent my afternoons growing up, is what the Census calls a ‘1% area’ for Black boys — one of a handful of zip codes in the country where a Black boy is just as likely as a white boy to grow up to be ‘successful,’” Jawando tweeted. “Because I spent my afternoons in a ‘1% area’ for Black boys, I had the chance to go to college, work for President Obama, and now represent over 1 million Marylanders on the Montgomery County Council.”
However, he said that experience was not universal among others in his peer group growing up — which inspired him to get involved in local politics.
“I have a blessed life. My friends say they’re proud of me for ‘making it.’ But I refuse to be ‘here’ while my friends are not. A story like mine shouldn’t be extraordinary — but until we address inequality, ensure justice, and lift each other up, my story will remain an outlier,” Jawando said. “I will not sit by and accept that for some people to get ahead, everyone else has to be left behind. It’s time for D.C. to learn that, too.”
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Jawando is running to replace Cardin, who has held his Senate seat since 2007. The seat is expected to lean Democratic, but it is also expected to attract a competitive primary field to replace the three-term incumbent.
Although Jawando is the first to announce his bid, a handful of other high-profile Democrats have been floated as candidates, including Reps. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) and David Trone (D-MD).