Boafo, a former campaign manager for Hoyer, is backed by the congressman he’s seeking to replace. The 87-year-old congressman cast his ballot for Boafo this week during the state’s early voting period ahead of the June 23 primary.

Hoyer’s former campaign manager remains the front-runner in the crowded Democratic primary, which features two dozen candidates on the ballot. Dunn is another well-known contender given his outspoken criticism of the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, but he’s been polling behind Boafo and former Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker III.

The former police officer made a name for himself when he testified before Congress about his personal experience regarding the Jan. 6 Capitol riot five years ago. Dunn also strongly criticized President Donald Trump’s decision to pardon the Jan. 6 riot defendants last year.

Last month, Dunn and Metropolitan Police Department officer Daniel Hodges sued to block the federal government’s $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization” fund from compensating Jan. 6 rioters. The lawsuit was filed before the Department of Justice abandoned the fund entirely due to multiple legal challenges. In a separate case, the fund was indefinitely blocked by a federal judge in Virginia.

Dunn resigned from the U.S. Capitol Police in December 2023, shortly before announcing his first congressional campaign. He launched his latest campaign in February.

In his final pitch to Maryland voters this time around, the congressional candidate prided himself on suing the Trump administration.

“A lot of candidates. A lot of information to sift through. We’re doing our best job to make it easy for them about why I’m the clear choice in my race,” he said. “I already have a track record of going up against Donald Trump. A lot of people like to say that, but me as a citizen, Harry Dunn, have sued this administration.”

Boafo made a similar appeal to voters, calling himself a “fighter” who can stand up to Trump. He also noted that over 35 elected officials have endorsed him. Apart from Hoyer’s support, the most notable endorsements come from Elfreth, Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), and Gov. Wes Moore (D-MD).

In the final week before the primary, Dunn criticized his primary opponent for benefiting from millions of dollars in outside spending made by groups tied to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and the cryptocurrency industry.

Dunn, Baker, and businesswoman Quincy Bareebe, all candidates for Maryland’s 5th Congressional District, held a press call on Tuesday, calling on Boafo to reject outside spending in the race. They argued special interest groups shouldn’t be influencing the primary for an open seat. Boafo maintained he remains opposed to outside spending, as he has been for years.

“I’ve been on the record about condemning outside spending for a very long time,” the leading candidate said. “It’s an issue my opponents are trying to relitigate in this way. But I’ve been very clear for seven years in elected life what I feel about big money in politics.”

Boafo has benefited from $8.8 million in spending by outside groups, including the AIPAC-linked United Democracy Project and crypto-backed super PAC Protect Progress, according to Roll Call. Meanwhile, he has raised roughly $1.1 million directly for his campaign. Dunn and Bareebe have outpaced the front-runner by raising $4 million and $5.9 million, respectively. Both have more money in their campaign chests than Boafo.

SEVEN HOUSE RACES SHIFT TOWARD DEMOCRATS: COOK POLITICAL REPORT

In 2024, voters in Maryland’s 5th Congressional District backed then-Vice President Kamala Harris by 33 points. It’s all but guaranteed that a Democrat will replace Hoyer in January 2027.

There are three Republican candidates running for the solid-blue district: Chris Chaffee, Bryan Duval Cubero, and Michelle Talkington. It’s unlikely the Republican nominee will beat the Democratic nominee in November. The Cook Political Report says the partisan voting index leans 17 points in favor of the Democratic Party, which hasn’t changed since last November.