Del. Adrian Boafo wins Democratic nomination to succeed Steny Hoyer

State Del. Adrian Boafo emerged Tuesday from a field of 23 candidates to secure the Democratic nomination to represent Maryland’s 5th Congressional District.

In a district where Democrats generally outnumber Republicans by more than 2-to-1 at the polls, Boafo, 32, has likely solidified himself as the successor to U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer, 87, who in January announced he would retire at the end of his term after nearly 45 years in Congress.

“The Democratic voters of the 5th Congressional District decided that it’s time to pass the torch to a new generation,” Boafo said in a victory speech at the IBEW Local 26 union hall in Lanham.

Boafo will face Republican Chris Chaffee, plus two unaffiliated candidates and a write-in contender, in November’s general election.

The district includes parts of Prince George’s and Anne Arundel counties and all of Charles, Calvert and St. Mary’s counties, and is home to the state’s largest population of federal employees.

Boafo benefitted from Hoyer’s backing. But he also received a substantial boost from $11 million in spending from pro-Israel and pro-cryptocurrency super PACs that supported his candidacy.

Several candidates and U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat who didn’t endorse in the 5th District, said they were alarmed that groups aligned with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and with the cryptocurrency industry had spent so much to boost Boafo’s campaign.

“Adrian Boafo can claim he has not coordinated with these Super PACs, but nothing is stopping him from publicly rejecting this spending and telling these groups to stop trying to buy this seat,” three of the candidates who ran against Boafo said in a statement June 15.

Hoyer, speaking ahead of Boafo’s victory speech Tuesday, dismissed the concerns, saying that his successor will be a representative “for the people, not for the interests of any special interest.”

Boafo has represented Prince George’s County in the state House of Delegates since 2023. He was previously a federal lobbyist for the technology company Oracle, a local official in Bowie and worked for former U.S. Rep. Ruben Kihuen of Nevada.

He also once worked as Hoyer’s campaign manager. When the longtime congressman announced his retirement, he endorsed Boafo to succeed him. Boafo also landed support from U.S. Sen. Angela Alsobrooks and Gov. Wes Moore.

Many of Hoyer’s would-be successors deployed large sums of money.

Former U.S. Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn, who two years ago ran for the 3rd Congressional District and lost, led the way with more than $4 million in contributions to his campaign.

Business executive Quincy Bareebe emerged with the largest war chest after contributing $5.7 million of her own money.

The Democratic primary also featured former Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker, County Council member Wala Blegay, state Sen. Arthur Ellis, fired federal workers and a volunteer firefighter who appeared on “Jeopardy!” among many others.

Banner reporters Brenda Wintrode and John-John Williams IV contributed to this report.