Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland has served in Congress for 36 years, and he’s rarely faced any competitive elections. He even ran unopposed in 1992.
But Cardin, 79, announced Monday that he will not seek reelection at the end of his third term in 2024. By retiring, Cardin has triggered a rare vacancy in the U.S. Senate… and perhaps even a highly competitive primary in the Democrat-leaning state.
Sponsored: [STUDY] Improved Lung Health in 42 Days
“I am proud of all I have done for Maryland. I have given my heart and soul to our great state, and I thank Marylanders for trusting me as your representative for all these years,” the senator said in a statement.
Cardin’s announcement earned tributes from his fellow senators.
“I salute my friend and our state’s senior Senator Ben Cardin on his extraordinary public service to Maryland and our country,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland said in a statement Monday. “It is a privilege to serve alongside him and in partnership every day for the people of our great state.”
Cardin has served in the Senate since 2006 when he won a seat to replace retiring Democrat Paul Sarbanes. Before that, he was a congressman who represented a large part of Baltimore and several nearby suburbs, winning his first U.S. House race in 1986.
As a senator, Cardin led the effort to remove the Capitol’s bust of the Supreme Court’s Roger B. Taney, a chief justice known for the majority opinion in the Dred Scott.
Cardin also has worked in foreign affairs, supporting the integration of anti-corruption, transparency and respect for human rights into foreign policy. He chaired the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the U.S. Helsinki Commission.
Cardin also had a long career in state government before he became a congressman. He won a seat in the Maryland House of Delegates in 1966, more than five decades ago. In 1979, he eventually became the youngest person ever to serve as Maryland House speaker, according to the Baltimore Banner. The House chamber at the state Capitol reportedly has a portrait of Cardin.
The Cardin family maintains a lineage in Maryland politics. Jon Cardin, the senator’s nephew, currently serves in the state House.
Oncologists Are Freaking Out After A Cause Of Cancer Is Revealed [sponsored]
“I still have a lot more work to do during these last two years,” the U.S. senator promised in a video Monday.
Take a look —
The Associated Press and The Horn editorial team contributed to this article.