Boafo wins House contest in Maryland to replace Hoyer

Maryland state Del. Adrian Boafo (D) is projected to win the race to succeed retiring Maryland Rep. Steny Hoyer (D), according to Decision Desk HQ.

Hoyer’s former campaign manager won the Democratic primary in Maryland’s solidly blue 5th District in June, setting the stage for his victory in the November general election. He defeated Republican Chris Chaffee, a perennial candidate.

The 5th District includes parts of Prince George’s and Anne Arundel counties, and it has historically been a reliable pickup for Democrats in the state.

Boafo was endorsed by Hoyer, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) and Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.).

The Democrat campaigned on lowering the cost of living, banning congressional stock trading, expanding childcare and education access, protecting the environment and investing in emerging technologies.

However, Boafo also faced criticism from elected officials within his own party for accepting millions of dollars in donations from pro-crypto super PAC Protect Progress and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s United Democracy Project.

Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen (Md.) accused these organizations of trying to “buy this congressional seat.”

Boafo is a native of Arlington, Va., and he earned his bachelor’s degree in government and public policy at the University of Baltimore before attaining his master’s in business administration from American University. He later worked as a senior director of government affairs for the tech company Oracle.