Rep. David Trone says he is running for the Senate seat in Maryland being vacated by retiring Sen. Ben Cardin.
Mr. Trone, a Democrat, says he is running because “the clock is ticking” on critical issues such as the fentanyl-fueled overdose crisis.
“Every hour in America 10 people die from overdoses,” Mr. Trone says in a 90-second launch video.
Also each hour, he said, another five people take their lives because of mental illness and 100 Black men are arrested.
“Is any of this acceptable to you? To anyone? Not to me,” Mr. Trone says to the camera.
The congressman said he grew up on a farm and learned what it was like to struggle.
The video traces his rise in business as the founder of the Total Wine and More chain and says he was among the first to ban the application box that asks prospective employees if they’ve been convicted of a felony.
Mr. Trone is considered a leading Democratic voice in combating the opioid crisis. He lost his nephew to the drug epidemic, and he co-chairs the Bipartisan Addiction and Mental Health Task Force.
“I’ve successfully fought to help people struggling with substance abuse disorder, mental health and an unfair criminal justice system by bringing people together,” he says in the video.
Mr. Trone, who has devoted personal wealth to his previous races, said he will not take a dime from super PACs or lobbyists during his campaign.
Other candidates are lining up to replace Mr. Cardin. Montgomery County Council member Will Jawando, a progressive Democrat, said Tuesday he plans to run.
On the Republican side, former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan disappointed GOP leaders by declaring he is not interested in becoming a senator.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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