Maryland state Delegate Nicole Williams has announced her candidacy to succeed Rep. Steny H. Hoyer after his 46-year tenure in representing the state’s 5th Congressional District ends next year.
“As our community seeks to replace the titan who is Congressman Steny Hoyer, I believe that I have the skills, experience and track record to hit the ground running in Congress and advance the issues most important to Maryland families,” Ms. Williams, a Democrat, said in her announcement.
She officially filed for candidacy eight days after Mr. Hoyer’s retirement announcement.
The Democratic primary is crowded, with a dozen candidates — including state Delegate Adrian Boafo, whom Mr. Hoyer endorsed as his successor; Prince George’s County Council member Wala Blegay; and state Sen. Arthur Ellis — vying for the open seat. Polls for the Democratic primary will open on June 23.
Running unopposed for the Republican Party is Michelle Talkington, a small business owner in the construction industry.
Ms. Williams positions herself as a “champion for working families and restorative justice,” having grown up in a lower-middle-class household.
“The great people of Maryland deserve a congresswoman who is unafraid to stand up and speak out against the worst abuses of the Trump administration while fighting to make everyday life more affordable,” she said.
Her political accomplishments include including establishing a first-of-its-kind Public Health Abortion Grant Program and Fund and a bill to shield health care providers from liability if they help out-of-state patients receive an abortion.
More recently, Ms. Williams led Maryland’s successful effort to ban local police cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Ms. Williams, the former vice chair of the House Democratic Caucus, has won the endorsement of state Treasurer Dereck Davis.
“I’ve known Nicole for more than 20 years and I’ve seen her commitment to creating economic opportunities for Maryland families,” Mr. Davis said. “She understands the reality facing too many families, from unaffordable groceries to housing costs and federal job losses. I know she will be the happy warrior that we need in Congress. I look forward to her representing us.”
