With Maryland’s 2026 primary elections in the books as of June 23, nominees for the Democratic and Republican parties have largely been determined.

Several races held particular significance for Jewish residents in the Baltimore area, particularly the race to replace longtime U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer, who has represented Maryland’s 5th Congressional District for 45 years.

Hoyer, in addition to being a powerful voice in the Democratic Party for decades, is a staunch supporter of Israel who has taken a public stance against antisemitism for years, but particularly recently as attacks on Jews have increased across the country.

Hoyer endorsed Adrian Boafo, his former campaign manager, to fill the seat. Boafo faced off against two dozen candidates, although he seemed to create space for himself in the crowded field largely via Hoyer’s support. He also received a wealth of donations, which did not come without controversy.

According to Politico, Boafo received a total of $11 million from pro-Israel and pro-crypto groups. Both represent interests that have drawn criticism from some opponents.

Winning more than 32% of the vote, Boafo is set to be the Democratic Party’s nominee in November. The tally gave Boafo a sizable advantage over runner-up Quincy Bareebe, who received approximately 17.5% of the vote.

Boafo will likely be tasked with following in Hoyer’s footsteps in representing the 5th District, which is solidly blue. Dating back to 2000, Hoyer never received less than 64% of the vote in a general election to represent the district.

Boafo, who is endorsed by Gov. Wes Moore, has said if he is elected, he intends to strengthen the U.S.-Israel alliance, ensure funding and security assistance to the State of Israel, and increase humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians.

Baltimore County Executive

In the Baltimore County executive primary race, Julian Jones won just over 38% of the vote, according to the Associated Press. Jewish candidate Izzy Patoka, a member and former chair of the Baltimore County Council, was second with 29.7% of the vote.

Patoka conceded the evening of June 27 in a text to the Baltimore Sun, it reported. Jones will go up against Republican frontrunner Patrick V. Dyer in November. Historically, Baltimore County has seen 14 Democrats hold the position compared to only two Republicans, according to WBAL-TV.

Patoka, who lives in Pikesville, was the only Jewish candidate in the field. He told Baltimore Jewish Times earlier this month that his background helps him understand the large number of Jewish constituents in his district.

“I represent the largest Jewish area in Baltimore County. My parents were both Holocaust survivors and … part of my identity is being the son of Holocaust survivors,” Patoka said. “It’s important to me to make sure that the things that are important to our community are addressed by local government.”

While not Jewish, Jones has spoken about the importance of keeping minorities in Baltimore County safe with what the county executive’s office can accomplish, namely creating security grants and ensuring police have a presence at events.

He said that he plans to work with schools and synagogues to find out what is best for them and make sure the office is supportive.

“At a time where we have rising antisemitism in Baltimore County, having one of the highest levels of hate crimes in the state, at a time where we see the Trump administration pulling back on some of the security grants that we’ve come accustomed to, I think it’s incumbent upon us as a county to step up to fill in that void,” Jones said in an interview with Baltimore Jewish Times in early June.

Baltimore County Council

Karson Kamenetz, son of longtime District 4 County Councilman Kevin Kamenetz, who passed away in 2018, won the Democratic primary in a race for the seat his father held for 16 years after securing more than 63% of the votes over his opponent, community advocate Aaron Barnett. Kamenetz is seeking to replace Patoka, who vacated the seat to run for county executive. He is just 24 years old, but Kamenetz told Baltimore Jewish Times last year that he is ready for the post, and to follow in his father’s footsteps.

“Leadership is also not about age; it’s about vision; it’s about energy; and it’s about, frankly, the ability to deliver results. I bring a fresh perspective, but I also bring a deep commitment, knowledge and understanding of my community, and simultaneously, I have such a drive to tackle these problems head on that sometimes have been ignored or disregarded because they sometimes impact groups of younger folks,” Kamenetz said.

Kamenetz will face Republican Gary Schuman in November.

“I will work every day to show I am deserving of your trust in every corner of this beautiful District 4, from Pikesville and Greenspring Valley to Milford Mill, Lochearn, and Woodlawn,” Kamenetz said on Facebook. “Whether you voted for me or not, I give you my word that I will fight for you. That’s how I was raised, and that’s how we build a stronger sense of community in this place we all love to call home.”

“We won this race, but now the real work starts. It’s time for the next generation of Baltimore County leadership. Let’s get moving,” he added.

Maryland Legislative District 41

Another race of particular interest for Jewish Baltimoreans was the Democratic primary for Maryland Legislative District 41. Incumbent Sen. Dalya Attar sought to retain the seat after being appointed to fill a vacancy in 2025.

Attar, the first Orthodox Jewish woman to serve in the State Senate, saw her campaign overshadowed by federal charges of extortion and conspiracy. Federal prosecutors filed the charges against Attar in October for allegedly trying to document an affair between a former campaign consultant and a married man in order to stop the consultant from making negative statements against her. Attar and two indicted co-conspirators are alleged to have planted a hidden camera in a smoke detector in the consultant’s home to make recordings of the two engaging in the affair.

While Attar called the allegations “baseless” and the consultant “mentally unstable” and “vindictive,” her opponent, Baltimore City Del. Malcolm Ruff, seized the opportunity to highlight them, at one point calling her an “embarrassment” in a campaign mailer.

Ruff won nearly 60% of the vote to Attar’s 40%.

Among Democrats, an eight-person race for District 41’s three House of Delegates seats — including the seat Ruff is vacating — saw incumbents Sandy Rosenberg and Sean Stinnett lead the field with 23.2% and 19.7% of the vote, respectively. Rosenberg was first elected in 1982. Ryan Turner held the edge for the third seat with 14.4% of the vote. No Republicans were running.

Vote counts are unofficial pending the counting of mail-in and provisional ballots, expected to conclude July 6. The general election will be held Nov. 3.

aguckes@midatlanticmedia.com