US Rep. Ruppersberger won’t seek reelection after 21 years in Congress and nearly 40 years in public office

U.S. Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, a Baltimore County Democrat who has been in Congress for 21 years and has held public office for nearly 40 years, ended months of speculation by announcing Friday that he won’t seek a twelfth term.

“I have decided to retire to spend more time with my family,” Ruppersberger said in an upbeat video message that offered a career retrospective. The congressman, who turns 78 on Jan. 31, has been married for more than 50 years to the former Kay Murphy, his high school sweetheart, and has two children and five grandchildren.

His message to constituents said he had served with “thoughtfulness, consistency and good old common sense,” and closed with “Now let’s go Ravens!”

Ruppersberger’s announcement, which came two weeks before the Feb. 9 filing deadline, means Maryland’s eight-member U.S. House delegation will have an unusually high number of open seats — three — heading into the May 14 primary.

U.S. Rep. John Sarbanes, a Democrat, said in October that he would pursue other interests rather than seek a tenth term in the 3rd Congressional District that includes Howard County and parts of Anne Arundel and Carroll counties. There is also a vacancy in the 6th Congressional District of Frederick County and Western Maryland because David Trone, a third-term Democrat, is running for the U.S. Senate.

Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr., a Democrat, has expressed interest in Ruppersberger’s 2nd Congressional District seat, which includes parts of Baltimore and Carroll counties and a small piece of Baltimore City, but only if Ruppersberger were not running.

“For over 40 years in public service, my friend and mentor Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger has been an unwavering force for good across the Baltimore region, throughout Maryland, and across the country,” said a statement from Olszewski, who did not file for the seat in advance of Ruppersberger’s announcement. “While his retirement from public service will mark the end of an era, his legacy as one of greater Baltimore’s best leaders and storytellers will undoubtedly endure for generations to come.”

As of the last election — in 2022 — the district had 264,496 registered Democrats, 150,038 registered Republicans and 101,941 independents, according to state election statistics.

Republicans hold a narrow 219-213 majority in the House with three vacancies, meaning every retirement decision is closely watched by both parties.

Ruppersberger is a Baltimore City College graduate and a former Baltimore County executive and council member who has held public office for almost 40 years. The congressman, who describes himself as a moderate, is a member of the influential House Appropriations Committee and previously served — during his first 12 years in Congress — on the Intelligence Committee.

“This has not been an easy decision,” Ruppersberger said Friday afternoon during a news conference at his Baltimore County district office.

He spoke stoically, but admitted he felt “sad, there’s no question, especially when it’s something you’ve done for so long.”

Ruppersberger said he was most proud of services he and his staff have provided to constituents. He admitted to frustration that “a lot of people aren’t getting along” in Congress, which has continued to struggle with long-term budget issues that repeatedly threaten to shut down the government.

“That’s not me,” said the congressman, who has emphasized his ability to get along with Republicans.

Ruppersberger, who will remain in the House until his term ends in January 2025, began alerting fellow members of Maryland’s congressional delegation of the decision on Friday morning following a meeting with his staff at his Baltimore County office. Four members of the staff, including Chief of Staff Tara Oursler and spokeswoman Jaime Lennon, have been with the congressman for more than 15 years.

“I have a voicemail message from him, so it’s not a surprise,” U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin, a Maryland Democrat, told The Baltimore Sun during a State House visit on Friday. “He has had an incredible career from the local offices that he held, to a prosecutor, to council, to county exec, to member of the House of Representatives.”

Maryland Democratic U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen praised Ruppersberger’s “exemplary public service,” and former Maryland U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski, also a Democrat, said “Maryland is stronger thanks to Congressman Ruppersberger’s dedicated service to our state and his constituents.”

Ruppersberger, then a prosecutor, won election to the Baltimore County Council in 1986, 11 years after a near-fatal car accident left him with dozens of broken bones and head injuries that led to brain swelling. He required 47 pints of blood and spent a month in the hospital.

He said the accident — and particularly the care he received at the Maryland Shock Trauma Center — motivated him to want to give back by pursuing public service.

Ruppersberger had $823,919 in his campaign account as of Sept. 30, enough to mount a reelection campaign, according to his most recent Federal Election Commission report. The campaign accounts of former lawmakers can legally stay active for years, and the money can be donated to various entities such as federal, state or local candidates. Ruppersberger’s office said Friday that it was premature to comment on the unspent cash.

Two Democrats, Clint Spellman Jr., and Jessica Sjoberg, both of Baltimore County, have filed with the Maryland Board of Elections to run in the Democratic primary. Dave Wallace of Carroll County has filed as a Republican.

Baltimore Sun reporter Hannah Gaskill contributed to this story.