Montgomery County Councilman Jawando has withdrawn from the race to fill the seat of outgoing U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin, saying Friday he does not believe he has a path to victory.
Jawando’s exit narrows the field, setting up a likely matchup between Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks and U.S. Rep. David Trone.
“Now more than ever, we need strong Democratic voices in the Senate,” Jawando said in a video message on social media Friday. “That’s why I got into this race more than six months ago. However, after a lot of thought, prayer, and late nights with my wife Michele and our family, I’ve decided that it’s time to take a step back from this race.”
As he bows out of the race, Jawando said he remains committed to the values he ran on.
“The fights we talked about in this campaign are, and always will be, the fights of my life,” he said. “But after thinking long and hard about this race in particular, I frankly no longer see a path for myself to victory…. I cannot remain in a race I do not believe we have a good chance of winning.”
Jawando said he was proud of the race he and his supporters ran, and the ideas he campaigned on, such as enacting a universal basic income, raising the minimum wage, creating universal healthcare, and reforming the criminal justice system.
“At the core of my campaign has always been this commitment: to build a shared prosperity that lifts everyone up, no matter who you are and where you come from. To push back against the lie that for you to do well, I have to do worse,” he said.
In addition to Trone and Alsobrooks, candidates also currently include Democrats Marcellus Crews, Juan Dominguez, Brian E. Frydenborg, Steven Henry Seuferer, and Andrew Jaye Wildman; Republicans Ray Bly and Lorie R. Friend; Green Party candidate Moseh Y. Landman; and unaffiliated candidate Emmanuel O. Osuchukwu.
Cardin announced in May that he would not seek reelection at the end of his third term in the U.S. Senate.
