The 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Maryland were held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012, to elect the eight U.S. representatives from the state of

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean t ...

, one from each of the state's eight

congressional districts Congressional districts, also known as electoral districts and legislative districts, electorates, or wards in other nations, are divisions of a larger administrative region that represent the population of a region in the larger congressional bod ...

. The elections coincided with the elections of other federal and state offices, including the quadrennial

presidential election A presidential election is the election of any head of state whose official title is President. Elections by country Albania The president of Albania is elected by the Assembly of Albania who are elected by the Albanian public. Chile The p ...

and an election to the U.S. Senate. The new congressional map, drawn and passed by the Democratic-controlled

Maryland General Assembly The Maryland General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland that convenes within the State House in Annapolis. It is a bicameral body: the upper chamber, the Maryland Senate, has 47 representatives and the lower chamber ...

, was signed into law by

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Martin O'Malley Martin Joseph O'Malley (born January 18, 1963) is an American lawyer and former politician who served as the 61st Governor of Maryland from 2007 to 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, he was Mayor of Baltimore from 1999 to 2007. O'Malley ...

on October 20, 2011. The map made the 6th district, at that time represented by Republican Roscoe Bartlett, much more favorable to Democrats.

Overview

District 1

The redrawn 1st district includes

Caroline Caroline may refer to: People *Caroline (given name), a feminine given name * J. C. Caroline (born 1933), American college and National Football League player * Jordan Caroline (born 1996), American (men's) basketball player Places Antarctica * ...

, Cecil, Dorchester,

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

, Queen Anne's,

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lor ...

, Talbot, Wicomico, and

Worcester Worcester may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England ** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament * Worcester Park, London, Engla ...

counties, as well as parts of

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...

, Carroll, and Harford counties. Republican incumbent Andy Harris, who had been first elected in

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

, ran for re-election.

Republican primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= * Andy Harris, incumbent U.S. Representative

Primary results

Democratic primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= * Wendy Rosen, businesswoman

=Eliminated in primary

= * John LaFerla,

OB/GYN Obstetrics and Gynaecology (also spelled as Obstetrics and Gynecology; abbreviated as Obs and Gynae, O&G, OB-GYN and OB/GYN) is the medical specialty that encompasses the two subspecialties of obstetrics (covering pregnancy, childbirth, and t ...

physician and former president of the Kent County Democratic Central Committee * Kimberley Letke, businesswoman

=Declined

= *

Frank Kratovil Frank Michael Kratovil Jr. (born May 29, 1968) is an American politician who was the U.S. representative for from 2009 to 2011. Elected in 2008, he was defeated in his bid for reelection on November 2, 2010. Kratovil is a member of the Democratic ...

, former U.S. Representative

Primary results

Libertarian primary

Nominee

*Muir Boda, asset protection manager

General election

Campaign

After Rosen won the primary, she was forced to withdraw from the race on September 10, 2012, after evidence surfaced that she'd voted in both Maryland and Florida in the 2006 and 2008 elections. Rosen had property in Florida, and Maryland law allowed property owners to vote in local elections even if they live elsewhere. However, her Florida voting registration reportedly also gave her access to state and federal elections there, something which was not allowed by Maryland law. As the deadline for replacing a candidate on the general election ballot was August 28, members of the Democratic Central Committees of each county in the district had to choose a write-in candidate to run in November. Two potential candidates who indicated an interest were former U.S. Representative Wayne Gilchrest, who represented the 1st district as a Republican from 1991 to 2009, and LaFerla, who finished a close second in the primary. LaFerla was then endorsed as the Democratic write-in candidate.

Results

District 2

The redrawn 2nd district includes parts of Anne Arundel,

, Harford, and

Howard Howard is an English-language given name originating from Old French Huard (or Houard) from a Germanic source similar to Old High German ''*Hugihard'' "heart-brave", or ''*Hoh-ward'', literally "high defender; chief guardian". It is also probabl ...

counties, and parts of the city of

. Democrat Dutch Ruppersberger, who had represented the 2nd district since 2003, ran for re-election.

Democratic primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= * Dutch Ruppersberger, incumbent U.S. Representative

Primary results

Republican primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= *

Nancy Jacobs Nancy Jacobs (born October 27, 1951 in West Virginia) is a former Maryland State Senator representing District 34. Early life, education, and early career Jacobs attended Bridgeport High School in Bridgeport, West Virginia. After high school ...

State Senator A state senator is a member of a state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature. Description A state senator is a member of an upper house in the bicameral legislatures of ...

=Eliminated in primary

= * Ray Bly, veteran * Vladmir Degen * Richard Impallaria, state delegate * Howard Orton * Larry Smith, former aide to U.S. Representative Andy Harris

=Declined

= * Pat McDonough, state delegate

Primary results

Libertarian primary

Nominee

*Leo Dymowski, Army veteran and attorney

General election

Results

District 3

The redrawn 3rd district includes parts of Anne Arundel,

, and Montgomery counties, and parts of the city of

. Democrat

John Sarbanes John Peter Spyros Sarbanes ( ; born May 22, 1962) is an American lawyer and politician who is the U.S. representative for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes the state capital of Annapolis, central p ...

, who had represented the 3rd district since 2007, ran for re-election.

Democratic primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= *

, incumbent U.S. Representative

=Eliminated in primary

= * Dave Lockwood, management consultant

Primary results

Republican primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= * Eric Delano Knowles, bartender and Constitution Party nominee for governor for

=Eliminated in primary

= * Armand Girard, retired teacher * Thomas E. "Pinkston" Harris, nominee for this seat in

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

and candidate for in

* Draper Phelps,

Primary results

Libertarian primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= *Paul Drgos Jr, computer programmer

General election

Results

District 4

The redrawn

4th district Fourth or the fourth may refer to: * the ordinal form of the number 4 * ''Fourth'' (album), by Soft Machine, 1971 * Fourth (angle), an ancient astronomical subdivision * Fourth (music), a musical interval * ''The Fourth'' (1972 film), a Sovie ...

includes parts of Anne Arundel and Prince George's counties. Democrat Donna Edwards, who has represented the 4th district since 2008, ran for re-election.

Democratic primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= * Donna Edwards, incumbent U.S. Representative

=Eliminated in primary

= * Ian Garner, U.S. Navy veteran * George McDermott, entrepreneur

=Withdrawn

= *

Glenn Ivey Glenn Frederick Ivey (born February 27, 1961) is an American politician and attorney who is the Representative-elect for Maryland's 4th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives. A partner at the law firm of Ivey & Leve ...

, former Prince George's County

State's Attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or state attorney is the chief prosecutor and/or chief law enforcement officer representing a U.S. state in a lo ...

=Declined

= * Jaime Benoit, Anne Arundel County councilman

Primary results

Republican primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= *Faith Loudon

=Eliminated in primary

= *Randy Gearhart *Greg Holmes *Charles Shepherd

Primary results

Libertarian primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= *Scott Soffen

General election

Results

District 5

The redrawn 5th district includes Calvert,

Charles Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was " ...

, and St. Mary's counties, as well as parts of Anne Arundel and Prince George's counties. Democrat

Steny Hoyer Steny Hamilton Hoyer (born June 14, 1939) is an American politician and attorney serving as the U.S. representative for since 1981 and as House Majority Leader since 2019. A Democrat, Hoyer was first elected in a special election on May 19, 19 ...

, who has represented the 5th district since 1981, ran from re-election

Democratic primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= * Steny Hoyer, incumbent U.S. Representative

=Eliminated in primary

= * Cathy Johnson Pendleton, publishing company founder

Primary results

Republican primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= * Tony O'Donnell, Minority Leader of the

Maryland House of Delegates The Maryland House of Delegates is the lower house of the legislature of the State of Maryland. It consists of 141 delegates elected from 47 districts. The House of Delegates Chamber is in the Maryland State House on State Circle in Annapolis, ...

=Eliminated in primary

= * David Hill, motorcycle technician * Glenn Troy Morton, author

=Declined

= * Charles Lollar, nominee for this seat in

Primary results

Libertarian primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= * Arvin Vohra, aeducator and entrepreneur

Green primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= *Bob Auerbach

General election

Jeremy Stinson, an unaffiliated candidate, did not secure a ballot nomination and ran as a

write-in candidate A write-in candidate is a candidate whose name does not appear on the ballot but seeks election by asking voters to cast a vote for the candidate by physically writing in the person's name on the ballot. Depending on electoral law it may be poss ...

Results

District 6

The redrawn 6th district includes Allegany, Garrett, and

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

counties, as well as parts of Frederick and Montgomery counties. Republican Roscoe Bartlett, who had represented the 6th district since 1993, ran for re-election.

Republican primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= * Roscoe Bartlett, incumbent U.S. Representative

=Eliminated in primary

= * Kathy Afzali, state delegate * David R. Brinkley,

state senator A state senator is a member of a state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature. Description A state senator is a member of an upper house in the bicameral legislatures of ...

* Robert Coblentz, systems analyst for the American Public University System and vice president of the Washington County Republican Club *

Robin Ficker Robin Ficker (born April 5, 1943) is an American disbarred attorney, real estate broker, former state legislator, political activist, sports heckler, and perennial political candidate. Ficker ran unsuccessfully for Montgomery County Executive i ...

, former state delegate and perennial candidate * Peter James, farmer and nominee for the 4th district in

* Joseph Krysztoforski, retired entrepreneur * Brandon Rippeon, businessman

=Declined

= * Alex X. Mooney, chairman of the

Maryland Republican Party The Maryland Republican Party is the Maryland state branch of the Republican Party (GOP), headquartered in Annapolis. Current elected officials Members of Congress U.S. Senate *None Both of Maryland's U.S. Senate seats have been held by Dem ...

and former state senator *

Bud Otis Harold F. "Bud" Otis (born September 13, 1938) is an Elder (Christianity), Elder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and an American publisher and politician. Early years Otis attended Andrews University where he earned a bachelor's degree in ...

, Rep. Bartlett's former

chief of staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supporti ...

* Christopher B. Shank, state senator

Endorsements

Primary results

Democratic primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= * John Delaney, commercial banker

=Eliminated in primary

= * Charles Bailey * Robert J. Garagiola, state senator * Ron Little, member of the Montgomery County Board of Social Services * Milad Pooran, doctor and

Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an ...

veteran A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in a particular occupation or field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in a military. A military veteran that h ...

=Withdrawn

= * Duchy Trachtenberg, former member of the Montgomery County Council

=Declined

= * Mark Shriver, state delegate * Doug Duncan, former Montgomery County Executive

Endorsements

Primary results

Libertarian primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= *Nickolaus Mueller

General election

Campaign

Facing a district that had been significantly redrawn to favour the Democrats (going from a seat that McCain carried with 57%, Obama would have carried the redrawn seat with 56%) the Bartlett campaign faced further diffcultlies when the

Federal Elections Commission The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is an independent regulatory agency of the United States whose purpose is to enforce campaign finance law in United States federal elections. Created in 1974 through amendments to the Federal Election Camp ...

fined Bartlett $5,000 for repeatedly failing to submit accurate campaign finance disclosure reports. When Todd Akin made his controversial comments about female biology, Bartlett immediately repudiated them, adding "There is no room in politics for these types of statements...As a human physiologist I know there is no scientific backing to Todd's claims." He followed it up with reiterating that his view on

abortion Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion"; these occur in approximately 30% to 40% of pre ...

exceptions has been "the same for twenty years. I'm pro-life, with exceptions for the life of the mother, rape and incest...I'm so avidly pro-life I'm against corporal punishment" However, it later transpired in 2001 Bartlett had supported a constitutional amendment which did not include the rape and incest exceptions.

Endorsements

Debates

Complete video of debate
October 17, 2012

Polling

Predictions

Results

District 7

The redrawn 7th district includes parts of

and

counties, and parts of the city of

. Democrat

Elijah Cummings Elijah Eugene Cummings (January 18, 1951October 17, 2019) was an American politician and civil rights advocate who served in the United States House of Representatives for from 1996 until his death in 2019, when he was succeeded by his predecess ...

, who had represented the 7th district since 1996, ran for re-election.

Democratic primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= *

, incumbent U.S. Representative

=Eliminated in primary

= *Ty Busch *Charles Smith

Primary results

Republican primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= *Frank Mirabile

=Eliminated in primary

= *Justin Kinsey

Primary results

Libertarian primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= *Ronald Owens-Bey

General election

Results

District 8

The redrawn 8th district will include parts of Carroll, Frederick, and Montgomery counties. Democrat

Chris Van Hollen Christopher Van Hollen Jr. (born January 10, 1959) is an American attorney and politician serving as the junior United States senator from Maryland since 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Van Hollen served as the U.S. representative ...

, who had represented the 8th district since 2003, ran for re-election.

Democratic primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= * Chris Van Hollen, incumbent

=Eliminated in primary

= * George English, retired economist

Primary results

Republican primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= * Kenneth Timmerman, author and reporter

=Eliminated in primary

= * Gus Alzona, accountant * Shelly Skolnick, attorney * Dave Wallace, businessman

Primary results

Libertarian primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= *Mark Grannis, attorney

Green primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= *George Gluck, computer consultant

General election

Results

References

External links

Maryland State Board of Elections

United States House of Representatives elections in Maryland, 2012
at

Ballotpedia Ballotpedia is a nonprofit and nonpartisan online political encyclopedia that covers federal, state, and local politics, elections, and public policy in the United States. The website was founded in 2007. Ballotpedia is sponsored by the Lucy Bur ...

Maryland U.S. House
at OurCampaigns.com
Campaign contributions for U.S. Congressional races in Maryland
at

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Outside spending
at the

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{{United States elections, 2012

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...