What to know about Maryland's 4 new and 6 returning members of Congress

Though the 2024 election was generally favorable for Republicans nationally, Maryland’s next congressional delegation will consist of nine Democrats — including four new members — and just one Republican.

Read on to learn more about the two senators and eight House members who will represent the state upon being sworn into the 119th Congress on Friday.

Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D)

Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks defeated former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, by a 12-point margin to become the state’s next senator-elect. With Alsobrooks and Delaware’s Lisa Blunt Rochester also claiming victory, the 119th Congress marks the first time that two Black women will serve in the Senate together.

Alsobrooks resigned from her county executive role earlier this month to prepare for the Senate. She campaigned as a strong advocate of education, healthcare and mental health/addiction issues.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D)

The only member of Maryland’s delegation who was not elected in 2024, Van Hollen will serve the middle third of his second Senate term during the 119th Congress. He will now become the state’s senior senator following the retirement of Sen. Ben Cardin — whom Alsobrooks will replace.

Van Hollen’s recent work in the Senate includes lobbying for federal funding to reconstruct Baltimore’s Key Bridge, which he called a “huge win.”

“We did that by working across the aisle with our Republican colleagues,” Van Hollen said of securing the Key Bridge funding.

Relegated to the minority, Van Hollen says his state’s delegation will seek to continue working with Republicans on issues such as Middle East policy, pointing to his efforts with Sen. Lindsey Graham to keep ISIS from filling the power vacuum left by regime change in Syria. The senator has called for the release of Israeli and American hostages held in Gaza while also arguing that the U.S. should do more to support civilians caught in a “disastrous humanitarian situation” there.

However, Van Hollen was much more skeptical of GOP President-elect Donald Trump’s call to overhaul the structure of federal civil service positions and said Trump’s proposals amount to “political cronyism.”

“I support any efforts to make the federal government more efficient… but we will oppose any effort to turn the federal civil service from a merit-based system into a system based on political cronyism,” Van Hollen said.

Rep. Andy Harris (R, District 1)

Maryland’s only Republican congressman is influential in conservative circles, as Harris chairs the House Freedom Caucus, which is the most reliably right-wing faction within the House Republican Conference. His district includes the entire Eastern Shore region and is the most conservative area of the state.

“My congressional priorities include securing our Southern Border, reducing federal spending, and making America healthy again by steering our nutrition policy toward promoting healthy food choices — starting with reforms to the food stamp (SNAP) program,” Harris’ office said in an emailed statement. “I also plan to continue advocating for resources to combat invasive species such as blue catfish in the Chesapeake Bay.”

Recently, Harris offered sharp criticism of his party — and Speaker Mike Johnson — for supporting the bill that averted a government shutdown because it did not include the debt limits proposed by President-elect Donald Trump. As such, Harris’ office says he is still undecided on the vote for a new House speaker.

Rep. Johnny Olszewski (D, District 2)

Maryland’s next newbie, Olszewski, 42, is replacing 22-year incumbent Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger. Nicknamed “Johnny O,” Olszewski has served as Baltimore County Executive since 2018 and will now represent a district that includes Baltimore and Carroll counties, as well as a small portion of Baltimore City.

Known for sparring with then-Gov. Hogan over COVID-19 mandates, Olszewski has been no stranger to political challenges. Earlier this month, he was cleared of wrongdoing in the alleged providing of improper payments to a former county employee with whom he had a personal relationship.

Rep. Sarah Elfreth (D, District 3)

The youngest member of the new delegation, Elfreth, 36, was the youngest woman ever elected to the Maryland Senate back in 2018. Now, she’ll replace Rep. John Sarbanes and represent a district encompassing the entirety of Howard County, as well as parts of Anne Arundel and Carroll counties.

“As the youngest member of Maryland’s congressional delegation, I’m able to bring a fresh perspective and represent a group of Marylanders who don’t always see themselves in Congress,” Elfreth told The Sun in an emailed statement. “On the campaign trail, I talked about being on birth control and how that has impacted my view on reproductive rights. The response I received — from people of all generations — proved that our politics can benefit from greater authenticity and honesty.”

An environmental advocate, Elfreth campaigned on a promise to encourage federal investment into preserving the Chesapeake Bay’s ecosystem. Her work on the tri-state Chesapeake Bay Commission made her realize the issue expands beyond just Maryland, and she believes making this case to GOP colleagues could be the key to getting funding over the finish line.

“The same Chesapeake Bay Program that invests in Bay restoration in my district also invests in sustainable farming in Pennsylvania and flood resilience in Virginia,” Elfreth said. “Securing funds for this work, particularly in a Trump Administration, is going to be all about finding bipartisan allies.”

Rep. Glenn Ivey (D, District 4)

Ivey cruised to a second term in Congress last month, winning 88% of the vote in a heavily Democratic district including most of Prince George’s County and a small part of Montgomery County.

As a member of the House Judiciary Committee, Ivey has been critical of Rep. Matt Gaetz in the midst of a recent ethics investigation. He has also criticized Trump for “politicizing” the FBI by vowing to appoint a staunch supporter, federal prosecutor Kash Patel, as the bureau’s new director.

Rep. Steny Hoyer (D, District 5)

Now 85, Hoyer will begin his 23rd term in Congress next week. First elected alongside Ronald Reagan in 1980, Hoyer’s career has seen him rise to House Majority Leader, a position he held from 2019 to 2023 under then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi. His district encompasses all of Charles, St. Mary’s and Calvert counties, as well as portions of Prince George’s and Anne Arundel counties.

While no longer a member of his party’s leadership, Hoyer is still an influential member, having led freshman members on a tour of Israel this summer — his 21st visit to the Jewish State overall. Hoyer suffered a minor stroke in August 2024 but returned to work days later.

Rep. April McClain-Delaney (D, District 6)

The last of Maryland’s new members is also the oldest of the four. At age 60, McClain-Delaney will replace Rep. David Trone — who opted to challenge Alsobrooks for Senate rather than run for reelection — in a competitive district that encompasses Allegany, Frederick, Garrett and Washington counties, as well as part of Montgomery County.

McClain-Delaney’s husband, John Delaney, represented the same district from 2013 to 2019 and unsuccessfully ran for president in 2020. With a net worth of $200 million today, Delaney was one of Congress’ richest members during his time in Washington.

In charting her own political path, McClain-Delaney campaigned on women’s issues like abortion while calling to “turn the page” on the toxic rhetoric “ripping across our country.”

Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D, District 7)

First elected in Congress under Reagan and serving well into the Bill Clinton years, Mfume spent a political lifetime out of office before finally re-taking his Baltimore-based House seat in 2020. During the 24-year gap, Mfume served as president of the NAACP for eight years and ran unsuccessfully for a Senate seat.

As a congressman during the Biden administration, Mfume sponsored a bill requiring schools to create emergency heat plans for athletes following the death of a 16-year-old high school football player this summer.

Mfume has said he will not attend the upcoming Trump inauguration on Jan. 20, as the day conflicts with his observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D, District 8)

Raskin will return to the House for his fifth term as the representative for most of Montgomery County and part of Prince George’s County.

Raskin became nationally known during Trump’s second impeachment trial in 2021, where he served as lead impeachment manager. In 2023, Democrats also chose him to serve as their Ranking Member on the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability.

Two weeks ago, Raskin’s party elected him to serve as their ranking member on the House Judiciary Committee. The congressman expressed gratitude while vowing to complete his “historic assignment” of preventing “further descent into MAGA chaos.”

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