The filing deadline for candidates running for Congress in Maryland this year was April 15, 2022. Sixty-five candidates are running for Maryland’s eight U.S. House districts, including 31 Democrats and 34 Republicans. That’s 8.12 candidates per district, less than the 9.87 candidates per district in 2020 and more than the 6.87 in 2018.
- This is the first election to take place under new district lines following the 2020 census. Maryland was apportioned eight districts, the same number it was apportioned after the 2010 census.
- Rep. Anthony Brown (D) is running for attorney general of Maryland, making the 4th district the only open seat this year and only the fourth U.S. House seat to open up in Maryland since 2012.
- Twelve candidates — nine Democrats and three Republicans — are running to replace Brown, the most candidates running for a seat this year.
- There are 15 contested primaries this year, eight Democratic and seven Republican. That’s one less than in 2020 and one more than in 2018.
- Rep. Andrew Harris (R), who represents the 1st district, is the only incumbent not facing a primary challenger this year. That’s one more than in 2020, when all eight incumbents faced primary challengers, and the same as in 2018.
- Republican and Democratic candidates filed to run in all eight districts, so no seats are guaranteed to either party this year.
Maryland is holding primary elections on July 19, the 31st state to do so this year. In Maryland, the winner of a primary election is the candidate who receives the greatest number of votes, even if he or she does not win an outright majority of votes cast.
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