Entrepreneur David Trone wants his seat back — in the U.S. House of Representatives, that is — and plans to challenge U.S. Rep. April McClain Delaney in the 2026 Democratic primary, according to his campaign.
Trone filed his paperwork with the Federal Election Commission Thursday and could not immediately be reached for comment.
In a brief video announcing his campaign, the 70-year-old Trone railed against the Trump administration’s policies and appeared to criticize fellow Democrats for not fighting back.
“If we’re not speaking out we’re giving in,” he said. “I’ve seen far too much of that lately.”
A quote from a USA Today article simultaneously flashed on the screen that read “Why aren’t Democrats fighting back?”
“Not so fast,” McClain Delaney said in a statement, noting that representing Maryland’s 6th District “is not a consolation prize.”
“David Trone thinks I should ‘step aside’ so he can have his old office back after he abandoned the district to run and lose for Senate,” the freshman congresswoman said in a statement. “He has the arrogance of a Trump.”
Trone represented Maryland’s 6th District starting in 2019, but stepped down in 2024 to run for an open U.S. Senate seat after Sen. Ben Cardin retired.
The wealthy co-owner of the country’s largest alcohol retailer Total Wine & More has been sitting on the political sidelines since losing in the primary to Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, and despite throwing a record-breaking $60 million-plus of his own money into the effort.
McClain Delaney became the Democratic candidate in 2024, narrowly defeating Republican former state delegate Neil Parrott in the election’s most competitive House race.
The district they’re competing to represent includes Allegany, Garrett, Washington and Frederick counties and part of Montgomery County.
Before Trone represented the 6th District, McClain Delaney’s husband, Democrat John Delaney, held the post.
John Delaney stepped down in advance of a 2020 Democratic presidential primary run.
Trone has made other attempts at a seat in Congress.
In 2016, he lost a primary race to U.S. Rep Jamie Raskin to represent Maryland’s 8th District.
Gov. Wes Moore backed McClain Delaney and Alsobrooks in their 2024 General Election contests with his Unity First PAC, a federal campaign fund.
