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Maryland's 8th Congressional District election, 2026

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2024
Maryland's 8th Congressional District
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Democratic primary
Republican primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: February 24, 2026
Primary: June 23, 2026
General: November 3, 2026
How to vote
Poll times:

7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Voting in Maryland

Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Solid Democratic
DDHQ and The Hill: Pending
Inside Elections: Solid Democratic
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Democratic
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds
U.S. House battlegrounds
Federal and state primary competitiveness
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026
See also
Maryland's 8th Congressional District
1st2nd3rd4th5th6th7th8th
Maryland elections, 2026
U.S. Congress elections, 2026
U.S. Senate elections, 2026
U.S. House elections, 2026

All U.S. House districts, including the 8th Congressional District of Maryland, are holding elections in 2026. The general election is November 3, 2026. The primary is June 23, 2026. The filing deadline is February 24, 2026. For more information about the primaries in this election, click on the links below:

Candidates and election results

Note: The following list includes official candidates only. Ballotpedia defines official candidates as people who:

  • Register with a federal or state campaign finance agency before the candidate filing deadline
  • Appear on candidate lists released by government election agencies

General election

The primary will occur on June 23, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Maryland District 8

Incumbent Jamie Raskin and Stephen Leon are running in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Maryland District 8 on June 23, 2026.


Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Maryland District 8

Cheryl Riley is running in the Republican primary for U.S. House Maryland District 8 on June 23, 2026.

Candidate
Image of Cheryl Riley
Cheryl Riley

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Candidate profiles

There are currently no candidate profiles created for this race. Candidate profiles will appear here as they are created. Encourage the candidates in this race to complete Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey so that their profile will appear here.

Voting information

See also: Voting in Maryland

Ballotpedia will publish the dates and deadlines related to this election as they are made available.

Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

No candidate in this race has completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Ballotpedia is seeking 100 percent participation so voters can learn more about all the candidates on their ballots.

Campaign finance

Name Party Receipts* Disbursements** Cash on hand Date
Jamie Raskin Democratic Party $3,527,723 $2,422,654 $6,070,272 As of September 30, 2025
Stephen Leon Democratic Party $1,926 $1,926 $1,000 As of September 30, 2025
Cheryl Riley Republican Party $9,436 $2,206 $7,819 As of September 30, 2025

Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2026. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee."
** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.

General election race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:

  • Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
  • Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
  • Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[1]
  • Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.

Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[2][3][4]

Race ratings: Maryland's 8th Congressional District election, 2026
Race trackerRace ratings
12/23/202512/16/202512/9/202512/2/2025
The Cook Political Report with Amy WalterSolid DemocraticSolid DemocraticSolid DemocraticSolid Democratic
Decision Desk HQ and The HillPendingPendingPendingPending
Inside Elections with Nathan L. GonzalesSolid DemocraticSolid DemocraticSolid DemocraticSolid Democratic
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal BallSafe DemocraticSafe DemocraticSafe DemocraticSafe Democratic
Note: Ballotpedia reviews external race ratings every week throughout the election season and posts weekly updates even if the media outlets have not revised their ratings during that week.

Ballot access

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. House candidates in Maryland in the 2026 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Maryland, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. House candidates, 2026
State Office Party Signatures required Filing fee Filing deadline Source
Maryland U.S. House Ballot-qualified party 1% of the eligible voters for the district $100 2/24/2026 Source
Maryland U.S. House Unaffiliated 10,000 $100 7/2/2026 Source


District history

The section below details election results for this office in elections dating back to 2020.

General election

General election for U.S. House Maryland District 8

Incumbent Jamie Raskin (D) defeated Cheryl Riley (R) and Nancy Wallace (G) in the general election for U.S. House Maryland District 8 on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Jamie Raskin
Jamie Raskin (D)
 
76.8
 
292,101
Image of Cheryl Riley
Cheryl Riley (R)
 
20.5
 
77,821
Image of Nancy Wallace
Nancy Wallace (G)
 
2.5
 
9,612
  Other/Write-in votes
 
0.2%
 
786

Total votes: 380,320
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary

Democratic primary for U.S. House Maryland District 8

Incumbent Jamie Raskin (D) defeated Eric Felber (D) in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Maryland District 8 on May 14, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Jamie Raskin
Jamie Raskin
 
94.8
 
103,071
Image of Eric Felber
Eric Felber
 
5.2
 
5,636

Total votes: 108,707
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Republican primary

Republican primary for U.S. House Maryland District 8

Cheryl Riley (R) defeated Michael Yadeta (R) in the Republican primary for U.S. House Maryland District 8 on May 14, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Cheryl Riley
Cheryl Riley
 
69.2
 
9,647
Image of Michael Yadeta
Michael Yadeta
 
30.8
 
4,290

Total votes: 13,937
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

General election

General election for U.S. House Maryland District 8

Incumbent Jamie Raskin (D) defeated Gregory Coll (R) and Andrés Garcia (L) in the general election for U.S. House Maryland District 8 on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Jamie Raskin
Jamie Raskin (D)
 
80.2
 
211,842
Image of Gregory Coll
Gregory Coll (R)  Candidate Connection
 
18.2
 
47,965
Image of Andrés Garcia
Andrés Garcia (L)  Candidate Connection
 
1.6
 
4,125
  Other/Write-in votes
 
0.1%
 
274

Total votes: 264,206
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary

Democratic primary for U.S. House Maryland District 8

Incumbent Jamie Raskin (D) defeated Andalib Odulate (D) in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Maryland District 8 on July 19, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Jamie Raskin
Jamie Raskin
 
93.9
 
109,055
Image of Andalib Odulate
Andalib Odulate
 
6.1
 
7,075

Total votes: 116,130
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary

Republican primary for U.S. House Maryland District 8

Gregory Coll (R) defeated Michael Yadeta (R) in the Republican primary for U.S. House Maryland District 8 on July 19, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Gregory Coll
Gregory Coll  Candidate Connection
 
83.6
 
11,445
Image of Michael Yadeta
Michael Yadeta
 
16.4
 
2,245

Total votes: 13,690
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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General election

General election for U.S. House Maryland District 8

Incumbent Jamie Raskin (D) defeated Gregory Coll (R) and Lih Young (D) in the general election for U.S. House Maryland District 8 on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Jamie Raskin
Jamie Raskin (D)
 
68.2
 
274,716
Image of Gregory Coll
Gregory Coll (R)  Candidate Connection
 
31.6
 
127,157
Image of Lih Young
Lih Young (D) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
27
  Other/Write-in votes
 
0.2%
 
714

Total votes: 402,614
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary

Democratic primary for U.S. House Maryland District 8

Incumbent Jamie Raskin (D) defeated Marcia Morgan (D), Lih Young (D), and Utam Paul (D) in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Maryland District 8 on June 2, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Jamie Raskin
Jamie Raskin
 
86.8
 
111,894
Marcia Morgan
 
7.9
 
10,236
Image of Lih Young
Lih Young
 
3.8
 
4,874
Utam Paul
 
1.5
 
1,885

Total votes: 128,889
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary

Republican primary for U.S. House Maryland District 8

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. House Maryland District 8 on June 2, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Gregory Coll
Gregory Coll  Candidate Connection
 
41.8
 
13,070
Image of Bridgette Cooper
Bridgette Cooper
 
15.4
 
4,831
Image of Nicholas Gladden
Nicholas Gladden  Candidate Connection
 
12.8
 
4,019
Patricia Rogers
 
12.4
 
3,868
Image of Shelly Skolnick
Shelly Skolnick
 
9.5
 
2,979
Image of Michael Yadeta
Michael Yadeta  Candidate Connection
 
8.1
 
2,526

Total votes: 31,293
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

District analysis

Click the tabs below to view information about voter composition, past elections, and demographics in both the district and the state.

  • District map - A map of the district in place for the election.
  • Competitiveness - Information about the competitiveness of 2026 U.S. House elections in the state.
  • Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the district and the state.
  • State party control - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.


Below is the district map in place for this election. Click the map below to enlarge it.

2023_01_03_md_congressional_district_08.jpg
See also: Primary election competitiveness in state and federal government, 2026
Information about competitiveness will be added here as it becomes available.

Partisan Voter Index

See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index

Heading into the 2026 elections, based on results from the 2024 and 2020 presidential elections, the Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district is D+30. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 30 percentage points more Democratic than the national average. This made Maryland's 8th the 15th most Democratic district nationally.[5]

2020 presidential election results

The table below shows what the vote in the 2024 presidential election was in this district. The presidential election data was compiled by The Downballot.

2024 presidential results in Maryland's 8th Congressional District
Kamala Harris Democratic Party Donald Trump Republican Party
77.0% 20.0%

Presidential voting history

See also: Presidential election in Maryland, 2024

Maryland presidential election results (1900-2024)

  • 22 Democratic wins
  • 10 Republican wins
Year 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024
Winning Party R D D D D R R R D D D D R R R D D D R D D R R D D D D D D D D D
See also: Party control of Maryland state government

Congressional delegation

The table below displays the partisan composition of Maryland's congressional delegation as of October 2025.

Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Maryland
Party U.S. Senate U.S. House Total
Democratic 2 7 9
Republican 0 1 1
Independent 0 0 0
Vacancies 0 0 0
Total 2 8 10

State executive

The table below displays the officeholders in Maryland's top four state executive offices as of October 2025.

State executive officials in Maryland, October 2025
Office Officeholder
Governor Democratic Party Wes Moore
Lieutenant Governor Democratic Party Aruna Miller
Secretary of State Democratic Party Susan Lee
Attorney General Democratic Party Anthony Brown

State legislature

Maryland State Senate

Party As of October 2025
     Democratic Party 34
     Republican Party 13
     Other 0
     Vacancies 0
Total 47

Maryland House of Delegates

Party As of October 2025
     Democratic Party 102
     Republican Party 38
     Other 0
     Vacancies 1
Total 141

Trifecta control

Maryland Party Control: 1992-2025
Twenty-two years of Democratic trifectas  •  No Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Governor D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R D D D
Senate D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D
House D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D

See also

Maryland 2026 primaries 2026 U.S. Congress elections
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Maryland congressional delegation
Voting in Maryland
Maryland elections:
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Democratic primary battlegrounds
Republican primary battlegrounds
U.S. Senate Democratic primaries
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U.S. House Republican primaries
U.S. Congress elections
U.S. Senate elections
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Ballot access

External links

Footnotes

  1. Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
  2. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
  3. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
  4. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
  5. Cook Political Report, "2025 Cook PVI℠: District Map and List (119th Congress)," accessed July 1, 2025


Senators
Representatives
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
District 7
District 8
Democratic Party (9)
Republican Party (1)