Frank Howard, Republican, enters race for Maryland’s 6th Congressional District

A Republican is aiming to challenge a Democratic incumbent in Maryland’s largest congressional district.

Frank Howard, a former GOP candidate for Maryland’s state Senate, has announced his candidacy for the 6th Congressional District, which currently is represented by Democratic Rep. John Delaney. The western district includes all of Garret, Allegany and Washington counties, and parts of Montgomery and Frederick counties.

“Last fall before the elections, both The Washington Post and the Gazette newspapers editorialized that the residents of Maryland and Montgomery County are not well served by the lack of two-party governance,” Mr. Howard said in a statement.

“I agree with them and can confirm their stance from conversations with thousands of voters, of all political affiliations, that people feel the need for positive change in Annapolis and Washington, D.C. I’m an independent-minded outsider who wants to represent them, and so have filed to run for Congress to help improve the quality of life for residents in Maryland’s 6th Congressional District,” he said.

A resident of Laytonsville in Montgomery County, Mr. Howard filed candidacy paperwork with the Federal Election Commission and the Maryland State Board of Elections on Tuesday.

In his state Senate race last year, he received endorsements from Parents Choice of Maryland and the National Federation of Independent Business. He won about 43 percent of the vote in District 14 but was defeated by the Democratic incumbent, state Sen. Karen Montgomery.