CNN
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Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland said Sunday that he is “seriously considering” a bid for the Senate and expects to announce a decision before July 4.
“I haven’t decided,” Raskin told CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union” when asked if he would seek the seat of retiring Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin. “I love the House of Representatives, I love the people I serve, and I love being in the House of the People. But, as some of my colleagues in the House have pointed out, these Senate seats only come open every 25 or 30 years. Many people urged me to check it out. ”
“I hope, before the Fourth of July, I will have an answer for everyone,” Raskin said.
Cardin announced last month that he would not seek re-election in 2024 after serving three terms in the Senate. The field of Democrats seeking to replace him in deep blue Maryland already includes US Rep. David Trone, Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks and Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando.
Former House Democratic leader Steny Hoyer, the senior member of Maryland’s congressional delegation, endorsed Alsobrooks last week. Asked by Bash if that would affect his decision to run, Raskin said: “Steny Hoyer is my friend, and so I talked to him. I told all my colleagues about it.”
“We have amazing political leaders in Maryland, and I’m not running against anybody,” Raskin said. “It’s completely based on the experience I’ve had trying to defend our democracy and our freedom and the Bill of Rights against the Trump movement, which I think is a danger.”
Raskin, who revealed a cancer diagnosis in December, said she got a “clean bill of health” and is in remission after her treatment and “waiting for my hair to come back and my eyelashes and the everyone.”
On Monday, the Maryland Democrat and his GOP counterpart on the Oversight panel, Chairman James Comer, are expected to review an internal FBI document that some Republicans claim will shed light on an allegation that, as vice president, Joe Biden is involved with a criminal. scheme of a foreign national.
Comer subpoenaed FBI Director Christopher Wray for the document last month and has since planned to begin proceedings to prevent Wray from being held in contempt of Congress for failing to turn it over to the committee. Despite the FBI’s accommodation, Comer plans to pursue contempt proceedings, arguing that it is insufficient to satisfy the terms of his subpoena.
“That shows me what they’re really interested in is holding the FBI director in contempt, not getting a document that they’ve already seen,” Raskin told Bash, adding, “I don’t know what this document is. because the majority shut us down, the Democrats”
“This is all part of the 2024 campaign,” Raskin said.
Asked about concerns about the 80-year-old Biden’s age as he seeks re-election next year, Raskin said the president “deserves to be judged by the results of his administration.”
“That is what should be important to our people,” said the congressman.
This story has been updated with additional details.
