Howard County Executive Calvin Ball Announced He Will Not Run For Congress

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — On Monday, Howard County Executive Calvin Ball, 48, confirmed on social media that he would not be running for office to fill the open seat in Congressional District 3 following the retirement next year of his friend Congressman John Sarbanes.

Sarbanes represents Maryland's District Three, which covers Howard County as well as parts of Anne Arundel and Carroll counties. Last month, Sarbanes announced he would not seek re-election after 18 years on the Hill.

Ball said in October that he was giving "serious consideration" to running for the U.S. House seat. on Monday, Ball stated he was "truly humbled and honored" by the numerous residents and leaders across the county and state who have encouraged him to run for that office. He pointed out that in 2018, he made history in Howard County when he was elected as the first Black county executive and again in 2022, earning more votes than any county executive in Howard County history.

"In just five years, we have made incredible progress to foster the best quality of life for all our residents," Ball stated.

Ball said that "so much more work lies ahead" and that has prompted him not to run for Congress but instead to remain as Howard County's leader.

"Every day, my ultimate goal is to best serve the many residents, businesses and visitors of Howard County and make a positive impact on our current and future generations. I know that there is so much work that we can do, together, and I am honored to continue serving as your Howard County executive," Ball stated.

The filing deadline to run for the Congressional seat falls on Feb. 9 and the primary will be May 14.