ANNAPOLIS, Md. — When Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) won his 1966 race for the Maryland House of Delegates, he was just 23-years-old. On Jan. 6, 1967 he took his first oath of office, representing the 42nd District. But this would not be his last time swearing in.
In the nearly six decades that have followed, Cardin has continually served the state, rising to Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates in 1979. He eventually moved on to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1987, and then the Senate in 2007.
"It's been an opportunity of a lifetime," he said. "I've given my heart and soul to doing everything I can to help the people of Maryland. And I thank them so much for their trust."
As the 2024 election approaches, Cardin has announced that he will not be running, which has opened the floodgates for new candidates. In a one-on-one interview with WUSA9, he explained why he made his decision.
"This decision is really an eight year decision," he said. "Two years running, followed by six years as a United States Senator. And I need to be realistic about how I feel and what I want to do in life."
Cardin, who is currently serving as the chairman of the Senate Small Business Committee, and who has previously served as the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said that politics has become far more divisive than it was when he was in the Maryland House of Delegates.
"It's changed pretty dramatically," he said. "It's certainly become more partisan, which is not a healthy thing. When I first started in the General Assembly it was a much friendlier place than today. People worked together and they collaborated much more. Civility was there. And these are important ingredients in a Democracy. And I'd hope we'd return to some of those days."
Since Cardin's announcement, at least two Democratic hopefuls have entered the race for his seat. On Tuesday, Montgomery Councilmember Will Jawando announced he was running and on Thursday, Rep. David Trone announced he'd be throwing his hat in the ring as well.
"I'm not planning to do any endorsements," Cardin said. "I think we need to see who is really committed to the race. It's not easy to run for the U.S. Senate. I'm looking forward - we have a deep bench. I do predict a Democrat will take the seat."
Sen. Cardin, who was born in Baltimore, told WUSA9 that this would not be a retirement to Ocean City, and that he plans to continue giving back as he can.
"I plan to find other ways to serve and follow the values that have really guided my life," he said. "So I will continue to work on the environment, on human rights - to do things - perhaps to try and impart some of my experience to other people. We'll find ways to serve."