Maryland Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-District 5) will not be seeking reelection this year after over four decades of service in the U.S. House of Representatives.
A Democrat, Hoyer became Maryland’s longest serving congressman in history in 2007 after first being elected in 1981.
His district covers all of Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s Counties and parts of Prince George’s and Anne Arundel Counties.
He served as House Majority Leader for two decades up until 2023 under the leadership of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and sponsored several key bills during his tenure, including the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Hoyer told his colleagues in a speech on the House floor Thursday that his decision comes with sadness and prefaced it by noting he would be speaking with “reluctant conviction.”
“That reluctance is because I am deeply concerned that this House is not living up to the founder’s goals,” Hoyer said. “I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to examine their conscience, renew their courage and carry out the responsibilities that the First Article of the Constitution demands.”
Hoyer said he will have more to say about the issues modern Congress is facing and how it has evolved during his tenure in the next year.
“I fear that America is heading not toward greatness, but towards smallness, pettiness, divisiveness, lawlessness and disdainfulness. We must respect and love one another. We must remember that we are not great or unique because we say we are great, but because we are just generous and fair,” he said. “I hope that spirit can guide us the rest of this Congress, because I still have much I want to do in the coming year.”
In a statement, Gov. Wes Moore said Maryland is grateful for Hoyer’s service and wishes him all the best in his next chapter.
“Steny Hoyer’s fingerprints have been on countless pieces of historic policy achievements over a career that has spanned nearly six decades–from making health care more affordable at home to standing up for human rights around the world,” Moore said. “But his true genius resides not simply in the grand American story he has helped to write, but in the many quiet moments of service and support he has given to all of us.”
“Listening to Steny Hoyer's remarks on the floor of the House this morning was a reminder of how much we will miss his voice in Congress after he retires. Steny has been both a leader of our party and a leader of our federal delegation. He is one of our state’s staunchest defenders and our party’s strongest fighters. It’s been an honor to serve with him, to work together for Marylanders and our nation,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Maryland) said in a statement.
“He leaves Congress with his head held high, secure in the knowledge that he has made so many Marylanders’ lives better. I know because I am one of those Marylanders,” said Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-Maryland) in a statement.
Hoyer also served 12 years in the Maryland Senate. He was elected at age 27 and became Senate president at 35 — the youngest to lead the chamber in state history.
The longest-serving Maryland senator in state history, Sen. Barbara Mikulski, also released a statement commending Hoyer’s historical service.
Prior to her election in the U.S. Senate, Mikulski served for a few years in the U.S. House beside Hoyer.
“Congressman Hoyer was a leader. He was an effective and unabashed advocate for his constituents. He knew the inside the corridors of power and was steadfast in his efforts to make it work for the people he represented and beyond,” she said.
So far, five Democratic candidates have filed to go head-to-head in the June primary to succeed Hoyer.
One Republican, one unaffiliated and one write-in candidate have also filed for candidacy.
