Political Notebook: 6th District candidate drops out, Mikulski backs Alsobrooks for Senate

Democratic candidate in Maryland’s Congressional District Six drops out

One of the 16 Democratic candidates in Maryland’s 6th Congressional District dropped out of the running on the first day of early voting, according to a new release from his campaign.

“We do not have enough runway to win the nomination in May,” said Peter Choharis, a lawyer who participated in a forum held in Hagerstown last month.

Choharis endorsed fellow Montgomery County Democrat April McClain-Delaney, noting her “important role” in the Biden Administration (she served as a deputy assistant secretary in the U.S. Department of Commerce) and her “positive campaign.”

More: Republican congressional candidates weigh in on Western Maryland's top priorities.

More: Democratic congressional candidates weigh in on Western Maryland's top priorities.

Retired Sen. Barbara Mikulski backs Alsobrooks for Senate seat

Barbara Mikulski served in the United States Senate for 30 years before stepping away in 2017. This week she stepped back into the political arena to announce her support for Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks in her bid for Maryland’s open U.S. Senate seat.

“Now we have the opportunity to send another woman back to the United States Senate from Maryland,” Mikulski, D-Md., said in a release from the Alsobrooks’ campaign, “because, for Angela, it’s not only about gender, it’s about the agenda. She’s got the right stuff.”

Mikulski is the only woman to ever represent Maryland in the U.S. Senate. Sixty women have served in the Senate in the country’s history, with 25 serving at this time. Since Mikulski stepped away in 2017, the 10-member Maryland congressional delegation has been all male.

Trone pitches in $3 million more to his Senate campaign

At last reporting in mid-April, U.S. Rep. David Trone, D-6th, had loaned or guaranteed his campaign $41.7 million. This week, a new form from the Federal Election Commission shows he contributed $3.1 million more on April 29.

More: US Senate campaigns release campaign finance reports. Here's a deep dive into the numbers.

The contribution comes days after the release of an ad that emphasizes the support of his campaign from four elected officials and a former elected official from Prince George’s County, while critiquing his opponent, Angela Alsobrooks, the county's current county executive.

Prince George's state’s attorney, a state senator and a pair of current council members spoke in the ad. The majority of the current 11-member council in that county has endorsed Alsobrooks.

Hogan announces campaign ‘coalition’ in lead-up to primary

Former Gov. Larry Hogan received the backing of a previous candidate for Maryland’s open U.S. Senate seat in February. This week, Hogan’s campaign announced Retired U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. John Teichert would be chairing a “campaign coalition” on his behalf.

Teichert, who campaigned as a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate seat, was announced in a Hogan campaign news release as the chair of the “Veterans for Hogan” coalition, which includes veterans from each of Maryland’s jurisdictions.

Hogan’s announcement coincided with the start of the primary’s early voting period, which began last week and continues through Thursday.

— Dwight A. Weingarten

This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: Political Notebook for May 5