15 Maryland Democrats in 2024 are running for the United States House of Representatives in Maryland’s 6th Congressional District.
These are the candidates.
Peter Choharis
There is no listed candidate website for Peter Choharis on the Maryland State Board of Elections website.
However, an internet search indicates that Mr. Choharis is the founder of The Choharis Law Group and has nearly thirty years of legal experience in the U.S. and internationally.
Mr. Choharis’ legal career spans many areas, including commercial disputes, administrative proceedings, foreign direct investment, and international law matters.
He has a background in dispute resolution across continents and is an advisor on foreign investment compliance and international development finance.
Additionally, Mr. Choharis, who lists a Potomac, Maryland address, was recognized for his contributions to foreign affairs, having published extensively and served on advisory councils and boards related to international law and human rights.
George Gluck
George Gluck is a mathematician, software engineer, public school educator, and political activist. According to his campaign website, his career includes involvement in various professional and community organizations.
Mr. Gluck’s congressional campaign is focused on economic health through green jobs and opposing corporate favoritism.
He is pushing education reform, including abolishing student debt and free public college, reforms like publicly financed federal elections and instant runoff voting, and environmental policies addressing climate change and promoting renewable energy sources.
According to a Ballotpedia page in his name, Gluck, who lives in Rockville, Maryland, has run for several offices, and his candidacies span multiple election cycles.
Geoffrey Grammer
Geoffrey Grammer’s congressional campaign emphasizes his extensive experience as a Democrat, military veteran, family man, and physician.
His candidate platform is built on principles of compassion and courage, aiming to secure democracy and address pressing issues, according to his campaign website.
Serving 25 years in the U.S. Army, with three deployments, Grammer, who lives in Rockville, was recognized for his leadership in mental health care in combat zones, earning the Bronze Star Medal and Combat Action Badge.
Mr. Grammer’s background includes serving as a mental health provider in the U.S. Army, where he focused on addressing the needs of soldiers in combat zones.
A first-time candidate for public office, Mr. Grammer’s professional experience underscores a commitment to healthcare issues and mental health advocacy.
His campaign focuses on a wide range of policies, including healthcare, women’s reproductive rights, economic growth, democracy security, labor unions, veterans’ affairs, climate change, law enforcement, education, and more, reflecting a comprehensive approach to governance.
Ashwani Jain
Ashwani Jain’s Maryland 6th Congressional District campaign is focused on his commitment to key policy initiatives, including removing corporate money from politics, advocating for free public college and student debt cancellation, implementing Medicare for All, and establishing a $26 minimum wage.
He is calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Jain emphasizes his unique position as potentially Maryland’s first millennial and Maryland’s first Asian American in Congress, focusing on opening doors of opportunity for the community.
His apparent campaign slogan, “I am owned by voters, not purchased by donors,” underscores his commitment to representing the interests of his constituents over those of corporate donors.
Mr. Jain, who lists a Gaithersburg address with the Maryland State Board of Elections, highlights his background as a cancer survivor, former Barack Obama White House and federal agency staffer, and a community organizer.
His congressional campaign website points to his personal experiences with cancer and public service as shaping his commitment to public health, education, and community engagement.
Ashwani Jain ran unsuccessfully for Maryland governor in 2022 and for an at-large seat on the Montgomery County Council in 2018.
Lesley J. Lopez
Lesley Lopez’s campaign website highlights her role as a Maryland state delegate, a mother of two young boys, and a proven state lawmaker ready to fight for families in Maryland’s 6th Congressional District.
First elected to the Maryland General Assembly in 2018, Lopez is one of three state legislators representing Maryland’s District 39 in upper Montgomery County. She was re-elected to a second term in 2022 and is currently in her sixth year serving her legislative District.
She presents herself as a congressional candidate prepared to take on challenges to get things done for her constituents, emphasizing a people-powered campaign focused on the needs and interests of Maryland families.
Delegate Lopez’s background includes extensive experience in public policy and communications, alongside a solid commitment to advocating for Maryland families and communities.
Her professional and personal experiences have positioned her as a candidate focused on effective governance and responsive leadership to address the needs of her constituents.
Tekesha A. Martinez
Hagerstown Mayor Tekesha Martinez’s website highlights her journey from growing up in foster care to becoming the first Black mayor of Hagerstown, Maryland.
Martinez was serving as a Hagerstown city councilwoman when she was unanimously appointed mayor in February 2023, succeeding Emily Keller, who resigned the office to serve as Maryland Special Secretary of Opioid Response for Maryland Gov.Wes Moore.
A mother of five and grandmother of seven, Martinez says she brings unique experiences to her congressional campaign, including her background as a poet and trained community mediator.
Martinez is focused on representing Marylanders from Montgomery County to Western Maryland, emphasizing her readiness to bring her diverse skill set to Congress.
She characterizes her campaign as a people-powered movement to fight for Maryland’s communities.
April McClain-Delaney
April McClain-Delaney’s campaign website showcases her public and private sector professional background, emphasizing her leadership in expanding broadband access and digital equity and her advocacy for children’s online safety.
Born and raised in a rural community, Mrs. McClain-Delaney says her roots have grounded her in the importance of hard work, education, and community service.
Her career spans over 30 years in media and tech, including a significant role at Common Sense Media and as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Communications in President Joseph R. Biden’s Commerce Department.
This varied experience underpins her campaign’s focus on practical solutions and bipartisan cooperation.
As of February 10, 2024, Mrs. McClain-Delaney leads her rivals in fundraising, cash on hand, and is the prohibitive Democratic frontrunner to replace outgoing Democratic Rep. David J. Trone, who is running for Maryland’s open U.S. Senate seat.
April McClain-Delaney lives in Potomac, Maryland. She is married to former Congressman John K. Delaney, who represented Maryland’s 6th Congressional District from January 2013 to January 3, 2019, and ran for president in the 2020 Democratic primary.
Mohammad S. Mozumder
Mohammad Mozumder’s campaign platform on his website focuses on advocating for a ceasefire and a long-term peace solution in the Palestine-Israel conflict, developing high-speed rail and mass transit infrastructure in Maryland, and addressing inflation through increased immigration.
Mozumder, who lives in Germantown, Maryland, claims Israel has committed “genocidal crimes” supported by the U.S. government. He says he’s running for Congress to “stop Israel,” “defund the Israeli war machine,” and ensure the “right-of-return of refugees to a new single disarmed multi-cultural state.”
Professionally, Mr. Mozumder brings 30 years of experience as a scientist at the Department of Energy.
His policy interests include worldwide human rights, transit-oriented development, universal healthcare, public education, pro-trade and immigration policies,substantialg gun control, prosecuting violent crimes, and eliminating fossil fuels.
Adrian Petrus
Adrian Petrus does not list a congressional campaign website through his Maryland State Board of Elections candidate filing.
Mr. Petrus filed for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2020 to represent Maryland’s 7th Congressional District but lost in the Democratic primary.
According to the website Ballotpedia, Petrus, who lists a Hyattsville, Maryland address, also participated in a special election for the same seat, where he again lost in the special Democratic primary on February 4, 2020.
Joel Rubin
Joel Rubin’s campaign website emphasizes his experience as a Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in Barack Obama’s administration and his service on the Chevy Chase Town Council.
His platform focuses on quality healthcare, peace-promoting foreign policy, democracy, education, ending mass incarceration and gun violence, combating climate change, effective constituent services, economic equity, and expanding civil rights.
Mr. Rubin, who lives in Chevy Chase, Maryland, points to his background in national security and foreign policy, combined with his local governance experience, shaping his policy platform to advance peace, security, and community well-being.
Joel Rubin ran unsuccessfully in the 2018 District 18 Democratic primary for the Maryland House of Delegates and for the Democratic nomination in Maryland’s 8th Congressional District in 2016, according to Ballotpedia.
Laurie-Anne Sayles
Laurie-Anne Sayles’ campaign for Congress focuses on making government work for its citizens, providing affordable healthcare, and promoting education.
She was elected to an at-large seat on the Montgomery County Council in 2022 and is currently serving in her second year.
Her biography, listed on her campaign website, illustrates her journey from the youngest child of a military veteran and social worker to a trailblazer in public service.
Councilwoman Sayles of Gaithersburg, Maryland, earned her Bachelor of Science in Public Health and a Master of Public Administration. She’s held roles at the FDA and NIH, focusing on public health and education, and is the first Black woman elected to the Gaithersburg City Council and Montgomery County Council.
Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel’s congressional campaign platform illustrates his commitment to fighting for working families, saving democracy, defending freedoms, and building a better future for all Marylanders.
Mr. Vogel, 27, is a Maryland state delegate representing District 17 (Gaithersburg & Rockville) in the Maryland General Assembly. He claims to live in an apartment building in Gaithersburg, Maryland.
Four months into his first term as a state lawmaker, Mr. Vogel was ready for a promotion – to Congress.
However, Mr. Vogel is campaigning not primarily on his professional experience, which is more modest than that of other candidates, but rather on aspects of his identity, highlighting his sexual orientation and status as part of Generation Z as key qualifications for representation and change.
A professional campaign operative with a limited resume, Mr. Vogel has aggressively launched negative attacks on some of his primary opponents.
But Mr. Vogel himself is soon likely to come under intense scrutiny over a $3300 congressional campaign donation in 2023 from Shalomyah Bowers, a national leader in the controversial Defund the Police movement, which advocates for reallocating funds from police departments to non-policing forms of public safety and community support, such as social services, education, and health care.
Mr. Vogel has refused to comment on the donation or state whether he’ll return Mr. Bowers’ money.
His campaign website highlights his desire for younger leadership and a fresh perspective to address generational challenges.
Destiny Drake West
Destiny West’s congressional campaign platform focuses on economic growth, affordable housing, healthcare access, public education, criminal justice reform, public safety, and environmental protection.
She emphasizes the importance of small businesses, proposes scaling up the Title V program for homelessness, advocates for culturally competent healthcare, supports strengthening public education, aims for community policing and criminal justice reform, and champions policies for climate change mitigation.
West also highlights on her website her push for immigration reform, equal pay, reproductive rights, combating gender-based violence, affordable childcare, and supporting veterans.
Her biography on her campaign website highlights her experience as a working mother and senior legislative analyst at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She has worked for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Title V program and has served in legislative and advisory roles for Maryland state senators.
Mrs. West, who lives in Germantown, says she aims to leverage her public health and policy background to advocate for families, small businesses, and sustainable environmental practices in Maryland’s 6th Congressional District.
Kiambo “Bo” White
There is no listed campaign website for Kiambo “Bo” White under his Maryland State Board of Elections candidate filing.
Altimont Mark Wilks
Altimont Mark Wilks of Hagerstown, Maryland, is a small-business owner who won legal battles against federal discrimination based on his criminal history.
The Maryland State Board of Elections website does not list a candidate website for Mr. Wilks; however, his social media pages are listed.
Mr. Wilks’ campaign is seemingly driven by a desire to prove that formerly incarcerated individuals can positively impact their communities.
Inspired by U.S. Rep. David J. Trone, Mr. Wilks advocates for criminal justice reform, reducing re-entry barriers and supporting economically disadvantaged areas.
His legal challenges have led to policy changes, benefiting people with criminal records accessing federal loans and SNAP retailer status.
Maryland’s 6th Congressional District Primary
Maryland’s 2024 primary election is scheduled for May 14.
Early voting for Maryland’s 2024 primary election will be held from Thursday, May 2, 2024, through Thursday, May 9, 2024.
