Maryland Democrats slam crypto, AIPAC-linked spending in race for Rep. Steny Hoyer's seat

Mary Ellen McIntire, CQ-Roll Call on Jun 16, 2026

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WASHINGTON — Three candidates in next week’s Democratic primary for the seat of retiring Maryland Rep. Steny H. Hoyer have teamed up to criticize the millions of dollars in outside spending flooding into the district.

Former Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn, businesswoman Quincy Bareebe and former Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker called on rival Adrian Boafo — the beneficiary of the spending — as well as Hoyer and other Boafo supporters such as Gov. Wes Moore and Sen. Angela Alsobrooks to disavow the millions in outlays, saying those groups shouldn’t be influencing the primary for an open seat.

“Special interests don’t spend money out of civic goodwill. They spend the kind of money that we see because they expect someone to work for them,” Baker said on a press call Tuesday.

Boafo, a member of the state House of Delegates who previously worked for Hoyer, has, through Tuesday, benefited from $8.8 million in spending by outside groups supporting his campaign. Protect Progress, a crypto-backed super PAC, and the United Democracy Project, the political arm of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, are the two biggest spenders in the race, disbursing $4.9 million and $2.9 million, respectively, according to Federal Election Commission filings.

Hoyer’s leadership PAC, Ameripac: The Fund for a Greater America, spent half a million dollars to boost Boafo, while the Project 218 super PAC spent $250,000 to support his campaign.

Baker has also benefited from $136,000 from the Servant-Leader Fund, which supports veterans and national security professionals.

Boafo’s campaign wrote in a “red box” message on its website — by which campaigns indirectly communicate with supportive groups — that likely Democratic voters need to see that Boafo “is running for Congress to stand up to Donald Trump’s relentless attacks on Maryland families.”

The message went on to say that voters should learn about how Boafo stood up to Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the state House and his record to raise the minimum wage and lower utility costs.

“Unfortunately Adrian’s opponents have sunk to a new level of desperation in attacking Senator Alsobrooks, Governor Moore and Congressman Hoyer in their attempt to lie and mislead voters about Adrian’s record,” Boafo campaign spokesman Chris Taylor said in a statement. “Adrian is focused on talking to voters about his vision for Maryland and will stand shoulder to shoulder with Alsobrooks, Moore and Hoyer fighting for Maryland families in Congress.”

There are 24 Democratic candidates on the ballot for the 5th District, which stretches from the D.C. suburbs into southern Maryland and whose voters backed Kamala Harris by 33 points in 2024. That means the Democratic primary winner would be all but certain to succeed Hoyer, who is retiring after 45 years in the House.

The race marks the second House bid for Dunn, who rose to national prominence after speaking out about his experience defending the Capitol during the Jan. 6 attack. He placed second in the Democratic primary for a different House seat in Maryland two years ago.

Dunn and Bareebe have been the top fundraisers in this year’s 5th District race. Bareebe reported a haul of $5.9 million as of June 3, the bulk of it in the form of loans to her campaign. She had $777,000 available for the final stretch of the race. Dunn raised $4 million and had $564,000 on hand as of June 3.

Boafo, meanwhile, had raised $1.1 million, landing him in third position in the fundraising race. He ended June 3 with $304,000 available.

Bareebe, the owner of a home health care company, defended her decision to self-fund her campaign.

“I have invested in making sure at least people have a choice,” she said.

For Dunn, it’s also the second election cycle in a row that the United Democracy Project has spent to support his opponent. In 2024, the group spent more than $4 million to boost state Sen. Sarah Elfreth, who went on to win the crowded primary for the 3rd District and the general election.

So far this year, AIPAC and linked groups have had mixed results with its political spending in Democratic primaries, as views toward Israel become more negative among Democrats. United Democracy Project invested heavily in a New Jersey special election to oppose former Rep. Tom Malinowski, who lost. But organizer Analilia Mejía, who held more progressive views on Israel, ultimately won the nomination and the special election.

The group also saw mixed results in Illinois, where affiliated groups engaged in four House races, with two of their preferred candidates winning. The cryptocurrency industry has similarly seen mixed results from its spending in primaries this year.