An expensive Democratic primary in Maryland's 3rd District
Running between Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, the solidly blue 3rd District sits open following the retirement of Democratic Rep. John Sarbanes. A deluge of money has flooded the contest, mainly in support of former Capitol Hill police officer Harry Dunn and state Sen. Sarah Elfreth, although state Sen. Clarence Lam may have an outside shot at winning.
Dunn became prominent after he testified before Congress in July 2021 about defending the Capitol against insurrectionists on Jan. 6, 2021, later receiving a Presidential Citizens Medal for his service. Notably, Dunn's campaign launch video featured him speaking to camera while walking through a recreation of the events of Jan. 6. His announcement precipitated a money monsoon: Dunn raised more without self-funding in the first quarter of 2024 ($3.8 million) than any other non-incumbent House candidate. Overall, he's raised $4.6 million, which has allowed him to run ads emphasizing his background, an endorsement from Rep. Nancy Pelosi and his goal to protect democracy. Dunn has loose ties to the 3rd District area, however, as he lives in Montgomery County closer to the nation's capital.
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By comparison, Elfreth likely started out better-known, as around 60 percent of her Annapolis-based state Senate seat lies in the 3rd District, according to Daily Kos Elections. She's raised about $1.5 million, but Elfreth has also received $4.2 million in outside spending support from United Democracy Project, the bipartisan American Israel Public Affairs Committee's super PAC. Despite AIPAC's pro-Israel policy focus, UDP's ads have emphasized Elfreth's effectiveness as a legislator and work to protect abortion rights. For his part, Lam has raised $736,000, but he sat in third with 8 percent in a late April survey for Dunn's campaign conducted by Upswing Research, while Dunn narrowly led Elfreth 22 percent to 18 percent.
—Geoffrey Skelley, 538