Two Democratic House primaries in Maryland suburbs near Washington are smashing spending records, with outside groups pouring unprecedented sums into races that have drawn little national attention. The combination of super PAC money, personal loans, and grassroots fundraising has created what some candidates now describe as a spending arms race that may work against their own interests.
In Maryland's 5th district, where over 20 Democrats are competing to succeed former House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, outside groups have already spent $12.5 million as of early June. That dwarfs the $10.5 million in combined spending by all the actual candidates in the race. The disparity has created an unusual dynamic where some frontrunners are finding themselves outspent by groups nominally supporting them.
The bulk of that outside money has flowed toward state delegate Adrian Boafo, who carries backing from Hoyer, Gov. Wes Moore, and Sen. Angela Alsobrooks. His campaign's own spending totaled just $830,000 through early June, yet pro-crypto super PAC Protect Progress and AIPAC's United Democracy Project have combined to saturate the airwaves on his behalf. Groups aligned with the Congressional Black Caucus and tied to Hoyer's own political operation have added six-figure contributions to the effort.
The sheer volume is proving counterproductive. County Council member Wala Blegay, another candidate in the race, described watching voters grow skeptical. "People are seeing them about every hour," Blegay said of the ads flooding local television. "It doesn't take $12 million to win this race, and that's just how much money they've put in."
Former Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn, who has emerged as a top fundraiser in the race with $3.5 million spent mostly from grassroots donations, found himself in an awkward position despite his success. "I've been one of the top fundraisers in the country, and I can't compete with that," Dunn told reporters. The irony is not lost on candidates or voters: a system designed to support favored candidates is becoming so heavily funded that it creates skepticism about the candidate himself.
Businesswoman Quincy Bareebe has spent the most of any candidate, at $5.1 million, though most came from $5.7 million in personal loans to her own campaign. Blegay has spent roughly $90,000, a pittance compared to the outside money reshaping the race.
Just one outside group has backed another candidate. The Servant-Leader Fund, which supports Democratic veterans, spent $135,000 for former state delegate Rushern Baker, leaving the field dramatically tilted.
The 6th district primary next door tells a similar story of personal wealth overwhelming traditional fundraising. Rep. April McClain Delaney is fending off a brutal challenge from her predecessor, David Trone, the wealthy founder of Total Wine and More. Trone has loaned his campaign $25 million. McClain Delaney, married to wealthy businessman John Delaney who once held the seat himself, has put $7.4 million of her own money into her campaign. Protect Progress added over $500,000 backing McClain Delaney in the final stretch.
Both candidates are moderate, establishment-aligned Democrats who have spent their air time attacking each other over progressive credentials while other Democrats in the race, including former Consumer Financial Protection Bureau official Alexis Goldstein, have been effectively shut out by the spending gap.
Author James Rodriguez: "When candidates start openly questioning whether they're drowning in their own support money, it's a sign the system is broken in ways nobody predicted."
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