- The Washington Times - Sunday, June 4, 2023

Rep. Jamie Raskin, a Maryland Democrat who was lead impeachment manager in former President Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial, said Sunday he’s weighing a run for Senate.

The 60-year-old, who finished chemotherapy for cancer in April and is in remission, would be seeking to fill a seat being vacated by longtime Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin.

Mr. Cardin, 79, is retiring and not seeking reelection.

“A lot of people are encouraging me to check it out because there’s certain constitutional functions the Senate has the House doesn’t have, like advice and consent, Supreme Court nominations, judicial confirmations, a lot of things that I’m interested in,” Mr. Raskin said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “That’s why I’m seriously considering it, but I’ve not decided.”

Mr. Raskin’s status grew during Mr. Trump’s tenure for his role investigating the former president and ultimately being a lead prosecutor in his second impeachment trial following the 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

He said a potential run, which he hopes to decide on by July 4, would be “totally based on the experience I’ve had trying to defend our democracy and our freedom and the Bill of Rights against the Trump movement.”

“As some of my House colleagues have pointed out, these Senate seats only open up every 25 or 30 years,” Mr. Raskin said. 

Four other Democrats have announced campaigns to replace Mr. Cardin, including Rep. David Trone, founder of Total Wine & More.

• Ramsey Touchberry can be reached at rtouchberry@washingtontimes.com.

Copyright © 2024 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.

Please read our comment policy before commenting.