(The Washington Post)

Rep. Steny H. Hoyer, a titan of Maryland politics and the former No. 2 leader in the House of Representatives, will seek a 23rd term in Congress.

Hoyer, 84, a Democrat, plans to file for reelection Tuesday in a deeply Democratic area he has represented in Congress since 1981, and before that the Maryland legislature starting in 1967.

“I believe I have more work to complete on behalf of my district, my state, and my country,” he said in a statement to The Washington Post. “I am blessed to have the good health, strength, and enduring passion necessary to continue serving my constituents at this decisive moment for Maryland and America.”

Hoyer stepped out of leadership last January, along with then-speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat from California, as Democrats lost the majority and party leaders handed power to a new generation.

His long tenure and departure from leadership helped fuel speculation he might step aside in 2024, questions amplified when he remarried in June after 26 years as a widower. Maryland Democrats hosted a gala earlier this year to honor his lifetime achievements — no other current state politician has been in office as long, save for U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin, a Maryland Democrat who started in the General Assembly the same year as Hoyer and announced in May that he would retire.

Hoyer has remained popular in his southern Maryland district, winning reelection in 2020 by nearly 38 percentage points.

He has been an evangelist to other members of Congress on the benefits of earmarks bringing home federal cash to local projects in their districts, beefed up the state’s military installations and for the past 14 years quarterbacked the state’s effort to woo the FBI headquarters to Maryland, along with its estimated $3 billion economic impact.

Though the state won the building in November, Virginians who lost out have complained and pressed inquiries, which have been launched by both a federal inspector general and Republicans on the House Oversight Committee.

Hoyer, who is on the Appropriations Committee, cited securing funding for the FBI headquarters as unfinished business he wants to conclude, along with paying for Judy Centers in Maryland, preschools named after his late first wife, Judith P. Hoyer, who was an early childhood educator.

“Unfortunately, beyond that, this Congress has been one of the most partisan and polarized in which I have served,” Hoyer said.

“As a result, it has been the least productive as well, with Republicans’ intraparty divisions blocking important progress for the American people. I believe in the next Congress we will have a Democratic Majority that will be able to deliver for families in Maryland and across the country,” he said. “During this coming election, the values, character, and very soul of America are at risk. Freedom, which makes our nation exceptional, will be on the ballot.”

Several key Maryland politicians encouraged Hoyer to seek another term, including Sen. Chris Van Hollen and Gov. Wes Moore, who will gather alongside Hoyer for a Maryland Democratic Party reception in Annapolis on Tuesday.

“Steny H. Hoyer has a proven record of delivering for our state,” Van Hollen said in a statement that called Hoyer “a leader on Team Maryland” who will be a “critical” member in fighting for Maryland’s priorities.

“He truly cares and puts his whole heart into everything he does,” Van Hollen said.
Moore said he was “thrilled” Hoyer will seek another term, saying the congressman’s impact on the state “is truly immeasurable.”

“Few people have made as big of a difference in the lives of Marylanders as Congressman Hoyer,” Moore said.