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Maryland state Del. Adrian Boafo won the Democratic primary Tuesday to replace retiring Rep. Steny Hoyer in the 5th District, aided by $11 million from pro-crypto and pro-Israel groups.
Boafo was Hoyer’s preferred successor and his former campaign manager. The primary was marked by intraparty divisions over heavy outside spending and what may be the last intraparty fight between Hoyer and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who endorsed a rival in the race.
United Democracy Project, a super PAC associated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, pumped $5.7 million into the race to promote Boafo, becoming the single biggest spender on the airwaves. Protect Progress, a super PAC aligned with the crypto industry, poured $5.5 million into the race, largely to benefit Boafo, a former federal lobbyist for the tech firm Oracle.
This spending in the crowded 24-candidate field drew the ire of many of Boafo’s rivals. Three of them — Harry Dunn, Rushern Baker and Quincy Bareebe — took the unusual step of jointly denouncing the interest groups’ efforts to influence the primary outcome. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), a potential 2028 presidential contender who did not endorse in the race, also accused the groups of trying to buy the seat.
Boafo’s victory now stands as a major win for the powerful arm of the pro-Israel lobby that’s drawn heavy scrutiny from some Democrats over its aggressive tactics in this year’s primary contests, as well as for Hoyer in getting his handpicked successor for his seat.
Hoyer has been a longtime AIPAC ally, and Boafo has called to strengthen the U.S.-Israel alliance, though he’s also been critical of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Boafo batted back the attacks over AIPAC and crypto spending by saying “big money has no place in politics.” Hoyer defended Boafo in an ad from United Democracy Project, saying the now-nominee has the “courage to stand up to any special interests.”
The messy primary had divided the state’s top Democrats and pitted two of the party’s most powerful leaders — Hoyer and Nancy Pelosi — against each other in perhaps the final clash of their decadeslong and sometimes rivalrous relationship. Hoyer was an early supporter of Boafo, while the former speaker and daughter of Baltimore sided with Dunn, a former Capitol Police officer whom she had grown close with in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 riot.
Boafo has a roster of high-profile Democratic backers that includes Gov. Wes Moore — another potential 2028 presidential candidate — as well as Sen. Angela Alsobrooks and Rep. Sarah Elfreth. He is all but guaranteed to win the seat in this deep-blue district in November.
