Who's In the Race

Maryland's 5th U.S. House District is an open seat this fall, with Democrat Adrian Boafo facing Republican Chris Chaffee and write-in candidate Mildred Marie Hall. The seat is open after Steny Hoyer said on Jan. 8, 2026, in a Maryland Matters report, that he would not seek reelection. ​

Boafo is a Maryland state delegate for District 23 who has served since 2023, previously sat on the Bowie City Council and served as mayor pro tem, and worked for former Congressman Steny Hoyer before becoming senior director of government affairs at Oracle. He won the Democratic primary with about 33 percent of the vote over runner-up Quincy Bareebe. Chaffee is a small-business owner, builder and farmer who says he started a home-building and renovation business in 1991 and graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park, in 1987. He won the Republican primary with about 52 percent of the vote over runner-up Michelle Talkington.

What They Stand For

According to his campaign website, Boafo has supported raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour and tying future increases to inflation, and has proposed expanding and protecting the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit alongside guaranteed universal childcare. He has called for passing Medicare for All with a public option, saying "healthcare is a right, not a luxury." He has also supported expanding voting access and passing the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to reduce corporate influence in elections, and has proposed protecting the Chesapeake Bay by holding polluters accountable and expanding clean energy such as solar and offshore wind.

According to Maryland Matters, Chaffee has supported requiring voter ID, saying "we should have a ID for voting," and has favored keeping U.S. borders closed while proposing church, business and individual sponsorship for vetted immigrants seeking to return through legal channels. To reduce costs, he has proposed reopening coal plants with clean-coal upgrades, easing construction permitting and increasing the childcare tax credit. He has said war should be a last resort and that the United States should "lead by strength" while supporting military personnel and their families, and has proposed outside-accountant oversight to prevent fraud, waste and abuse in safety-net programs.

The Money Behind the Race

Federal Election Commission filings show Boafo raised about $1.7 million through June 30 and had about $92,000 in cash on hand, carrying about $7,400 in debt.

Outside groups have spent about $12.5 million in the race as of Oct. 12, all of it supporting Boafo. The United Democracy Project spent about $5.7 million supporting Democrats in the race, more than any other outside group, followed by Protect Progress with about $5.5 million.

Race Outlook: Ratings and Betting Markets

The Cook Political Report rated the race Solid Democratic as of Oct. 9; Sabato's Crystal Ball rated it Solid Democratic as of Oct. 11; and Inside Elections rated it Solid Democratic as of Oct. 2. On Kalshi, traders gave Democrats, whose nominee is Boafo, a 95.73 percent chance of winning as of Oct. 12.

The district has voted heavily Democratic in recent cycles: Hoyer won it with about 66 percent in 2022 and about 68 percent in 2024. In 2022, Democrats won seven of Maryland's eight U.S. House seats, and Republicans won one. Democrat Kamala Harris carried Maryland in the 2024 presidential race with about 63 percent of the vote.

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