(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Maryland U.S. Rep. John Sarbanes says he won’t seek reelection next year, creating unexpected vacancy [1] [] Date: 2023-10-26 Thank you for supporting our journalism. This article is available exclusively for our subscribers, who help fund our work at The Baltimore Sun. U.S. Rep. John Sarbanes, a ninth-term Democrat who advocated for election and campaign finance reform, announced Thursday he won’t seek reelection next year in the 3rd Congressional District that includes Howard County and parts of Anne Arundel and Carroll counties. Sarbanes’ announcement was a surprise. Advertisement He said in a news release that he was interested in other forms of service. “Before coming to Congress, I also found great reward in working with nonprofits, volunteering and otherwise contributing to my community. That too is a powerful form of public service. For some time now, I have found myself drawn back to that kind of work — wanting to explore the many opportunities to serve that exist outside of elected office,” the congressman said. Advertisement Announcing today that I won’t be running for reelection in 2024. There are many ways to serve. It will be 18 years doing that in Congress, but looking forward to a new chapter of service. Still have 14 months left in my term and will finish strong. See my statement here ⬇️ — Rep. John Sarbanes (@RepSarbanes) October 26, 2023 Sarbanes, 61, said he will serve the remainder of his term, which runs through 2024. His departure opens up a rare vacancy in Maryland’s eight-member congressional delegation. There is also a vacancy in the 6th Congressional District of Frederick County and Western Maryland because David Trone, the incumbent Democrat, is running for U.S. Senate. Democrats currently hold seven of the eight seats in the all-male delegation. Rep. Andy Harris, who represents Harford County and the Eastern Shore, is the only Republican. Among the possible early contenders for Sarbanes’ seat is Democratic state Sen. Clarence Lam, whose district substantially overlaps with Sarbanes’. Lam declined to comment on Thursday. Maryland Policy & Politics Weekly Keep up to date with Maryland politics, elections and important decisions made by federal, state and local government officials. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy > In his last election, Sarbanes defeated Republican Yuripzy Morgan, a lawyer and former WBAL-AM political talk show host. She got about 40% of the vote, which was substantially more than his challengers had received in recent elections prior to 2022. Morgan said in an interview Thursday that she would “consider my options with my family” about possibly running again. Sarbanes is the son of the late U.S. Sen. Paul Sarbanes, who died in 2020. Sarbanes’ congressional district was substantially altered in the last round of redistricting following the 2020 census. The 3rd Congressional District, which touches three counties, was redrawn by the General Assembly to include all of Howard County instead of just a piece. Advertisement Sarbanes is best known in the House for advocating for ethics reform, campaign finance reform and voting rights protections. He and leading Democrats lobbied unsuccessfully in recent years for his legislation that included national automatic voter registration, anti-gerrymandering provisions, and a requirement that all political organizations disclose their donors. Sarbanes “has been a tireless champion for our democracy, a public servant focused on people over politics, and a fierce advocate for the entire Baltimore region,” said Johnny Olszewski Jr., the Baltimore County executive, on X, formerly Twitter. [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.baltimoresun.com/politics/bs-md-pol-sarbanes-wont-run-20231026-do3rey6cdjailnxufmzvexi4du-story.html Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/