Potomac's David Trone Announces House Re-Election Bid

POTOMAC, MD — U.S. Rep. David Trone, a businessman and Democrat from Potomac, announced Thursday that he will be seeking re-election.

In an email to supporters, the freshman lawmaker said his team and constituents "have made incredible progress" on issues like the opioid crisis and economic inequality, but still have more to achieve.

"When I asked for your vote two years ago, I promised that if you gave me the honor of being your congressman in Maryland's 6th District, I would work my heart out for you every single day. I promised to always seek solutions, not conflict. I promised to tackle big challenges like the opioid crisis, criminal justice reform, and economic inequality," Trone wrote.

"I've worked every day to live up to those promises, and more. Today, I'm officially filing for reelection in 2020 because we have made incredible progress — and we have so much more work left to do."

Trone, a millionaire and co-founder of the Total Wine & More chain, won his race to succeed Rep. John Delaney in the U.S. House of Representatives in November 2018. The wine magnate defeated Republican Amie Hoeber, earning nearly 60 percent of the vote, according to vote returns from The Washington Post.

In his letter to supporters Thursday, Trone credited the House with passing a number of bills, including universal background checks and a $15 minimum wage, before taking aim at Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

"More than 275 of these bills are sitting on Senator Mitch McConnell's desk, awaiting a Senate vote that may never come," Trone said.

According to Trone, America has a "big problem" when a leader possesses enough power to prevent discussion of certain legislation.

"Our country has a big problem when one politician can stand in the way of so much progress without being held accountable — whether it's Trump, McConnell, or whoever comes after them. That's why my campaign isn't just about one election," Trone continued. "It's about taking a hard look at the challenges we face in our democracy, our economy, and our society and asking the question: What can we do right now to make the biggest positive impact for the most people? What can we try? How do we put politics aside and get to a solution?"

Trone represents all or parts of Garrett, Allegany, Washington, Frederick, and Montgomery counties. He currently sits on the Education and Labor, Foreign Affairs, and Joint Economic committees in Congress.