SouthernWorldwide.com – Former Representative David Trone, a Democrat from Maryland, has seen his attempt to return to Congress thwarted after investing millions of his personal wealth into the race to unseat an incumbent Democrat.
Representative April McClain Delaney, also a Democrat from Maryland, emerged victorious against Trone on Tuesday in a highly competitive primary battle for a controversially drawn House seat in western Maryland. This outcome was reported by The Associated Press.
The internal party contest was among the most expensive primaries of the 2026 election cycle. Combined, both candidates expended over $32 million, leveraging their considerable personal fortunes to advance their respective campaigns.
It remains to be seen if the total expenditure surpassed that of the Kentucky primary, which saw the defeat of Representative Thomas Massie. That particular race had recently been recognized as the most costly House primary in the nation.
Trone, who founded the alcohol retail giant Total Wine & More and is a billionaire, personally injected more than $25 million into his campaign. Delaney, a freshman lawmaker who previously served in the Biden administration, spent at least $7 million of her own funds to fend off Trone’s primary challenge and secure a second term in the House.
Delaney’s prior experience includes serving as a political appointee within the Commerce Department during the Biden administration.
While the two candidates shared few significant policy disagreements, Trone lodged sharp criticism against Delaney for her vote on the GOP-authored Laken Riley Act in early 2025. Delaney later expressed regret over her support for the legislation, which mandates the detention of undocumented immigrants facing accusations or convictions for certain offenses.
Delaney also called out Trone for highlighting support from former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in an advertisement focused on his stance on abortion rights, despite not having secured a formal endorsement from her.
Trone, who previously represented the district for three terms, had previously funded a failed Senate bid in 2024 with over $60 million of his personal fortune, ultimately losing to the current Senator Angela Alsobrooks. He had notably endorsed Delaney as his successor in Congress.
The Democratic establishment in Maryland largely coalesced around Delaney’s campaign, demonstrating a notable unity against Trone’s insurgent effort. Governor Wes Moore, Senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks, Representative Jamie Raskin, and former House Minority Leader Steny Hoyer all endorsed Delaney’s bid for re-election.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also lent their support to Delaney’s campaign.
In contrast, Trone promoted an endorsement from the state’s largest teachers’ union.
Neither Delaney nor Trone currently resides within the district they are competing for. The district encompasses a wide geographical area, stretching from the predominantly Republican rural northwestern corner of the state to the strongly Democratic and suburban counties of Montgomery and Frederick.
Both Democrats live in the affluent suburb of Potomac, Maryland, located near Washington, D.C.
Despite the district leaning Democratic, former President Donald Trump came within six percentage points of winning it in 2024. However, national Republicans do not consider this seat a primary target for potential gains.
Delaney’s husband, John Delaney, is a former representative for the same seat, serving from 2013 to 2019 before launching an unsuccessful presidential campaign in 2020.
