Longtime Maryland Democrat Sen. Ben Cardin Will Not Seek Reelection in 2024

Longtime Maryland Democrat Sen. Ben Cardin will not seek reelection in 2024, setting off a scramble to fill the seat in the closely divided U.S. Senate.

“It’s time,” Cardin told the Baltimore Sun in an interview before his official announcement. “I always knew this election cycle would be the one I would be thinking about not running again, so it’s not something that hit me by surprise.”

“I enjoy life. There are other things I can do,” he added while alluding to the possibility of being a professor or a teacher after he retires from the Senate.

The 79-year-old Democrat senator, who turns 80 in October, will serve the rest of his term which ends January 2o25. He and Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) are the state’s longest-serving elected officials after starting their careers in politics in 1967.

FLASHBACK: Cardin: :”I Disagree with” Biden, Following People into Bathrooms “Should Not Be Part of the Process”:

Cardin’s open seat in 2024 will surely draw some attention with a crowded primary to fill the safe blue seat. The Baltimore Sun reported that possible contenders for the seat could be Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, Rep. David Trone, Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr., and Rep. Jamie Raskin.

Following Cardin’s announcement, Raskin was the first one with a statement praising the senator for a “career devoted to service of our people and the old-fashioned public values of honesty and decency.” However, he did not say if he would run for the seat.

Raskin is first out the gate with a statement on Sen. Cardin's retirement, praising his "career devoted to service of our people and the old-fashioned public values of honesty and decency."

No word on whether he's interested in the seat. pic.twitter.com/fBVp0Taogz

— Andrew Solender (@AndrewSolender) May 1, 2023

The deep blue seat will likely go to a Democrat, as Cook Political Report rates it a solid Democrat seat. However, in 2024, 23 of the 33 Senate seats that are up for reelection are currently held by Democrats or left-leaning independents. With the Senate closely divided, the Democrats will still need to make sure no more than two seats flip.

Jacob Bliss is a reporter for Breitbart News. Write to him at jbliss@breitbart.com or follow him on Twitter @JacobMBliss.