Rep. April McClain Delaney defeated former Rep. David Trone in the Democratic primary for a gerrymandered House seat in western Maryland, The Associated Press reported Tuesday.
The intraparty contest was one of the costliest of the 2026 cycle, with more than $32 million spent between the two campaigns, according to the AP. Trone, the billionaire founder of Total Wine & More, put more than $25 million of his personal fortune into the race. Delaney, a freshman lawmaker and former Biden Commerce Department appointee, spent at least $7 million of her own money, the AP said.
Campaign differences were limited, but Trone criticized Delaney for her early 2025 vote for the GOP-authored Laken Riley Act. Delaney later said she regretted supporting the law, which requires detention of some illegal immigrants accused or convicted of certain crimes, the AP reported. Delaney also faulted Trone for airing an ad that touted support from former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton despite not having a formal endorsement, according to the AP.
Maryland’s Democratic establishment coalesced around Delaney. Gov. Wes Moore, Sens. Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks, Rep. Jamie Raskin and former House Minority Leader Steny Hoyer endorsed her bid, as did House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the AP reported. Trone touted an endorsement from the state’s largest teachers union.
Trone previously represented the district for three terms and spent more than $60 million on a failed 2024 Senate bid, losing to now-Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, the AP said. Both Delaney and Trone live in Potomac, Maryland, outside the sprawling district that stretches from rural northwestern counties to suburban Montgomery and Frederick counties. The seat, which Democrats hold, came within six points of going for former President Donald Trump in 2024 but is not viewed by national Republicans as a top pickup opportunity, according to the AP.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
