Race · November 3, 2026

U.S. House · Maryland's 5th District

2 candidates on the ballot — an open seat, with no incumbent running.^1,2,3

§1Candidates

Why this matters: Every candidate the state lists for this race on the November ballot, in the state's own order.

Adrian Boafo

Democratic · Open seat

Chris Chaffee

Republican · Open seat

§2Side by side

Why this matters: The same facts for every candidate, in the same order. Where we found nothing for a candidate, the cell says so — that means we didn't find it in public sources, not that it doesn't exist.

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Fact	Adrian Boafo	Chris Chaffee
Party on the ballot	Democratic^1,2,3	Republican^1,2,3
Status	Open seat	Open seat
Raised	$1,906,194 through October 14, 2026⁴	Not found in the public sources we checked
Cash on hand	$92,102⁴	Not found in the public sources we checked
Outside spending	$12,093,528 for · $0 against⁵	Not found in the public sources we checked
Military spending	His campaign website says the nine federal and military installations in the 5th District should be fully funded so they keep supporting jobs, national security and growth.⁶	His campaign website says that putting America first includes funding for the Department of Defense and keeping military bases funded.⁷
Zoning and new housing	His campaign website says he would reduce federal red tape and offer incentives to build mixed-income, workforce and missing middle housing to add supply and lower costs.⁶	His campaign website says home and rent costs have risen because of a shortage of builders' funding and land, and that the permit process for residential and commercial construction should be minimized.⁷
Preventing government shutdowns	His campaign website says he would stop government shutdowns and budget cuts that hurt the local economy.⁶	His campaign website says budget shortfalls and shutdowns should never happen, that legislators responsible for passing the budget should have their pay stopped if the funding is not in place, and that homeland security should be fully funded.⁷

Issues only one candidate has addressed

By candidate, in ballot order. We found nothing public from the other candidates in this race on these issues.

Adrian Boafo — 43 issues

Abortion law
His campaign website says he would defend reproductive freedom and protect a woman's right to choose.⁶
Birth control and IVF
His campaign website lists expanding health care options for women veterans, including IVF access, among his veterans priorities.⁶
Discrimination protections for sexual orientation and gender identity
Pass broad protections such as the Equality Act
His campaign website says he would pass the Equality Act to bar discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in housing, jobs and public places.⁶
Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs
His campaign website says he would bring back civil rights protections and equal opportunity programs that it says the Trump administration dismantled, and lists in his track record sponsoring legislation to strengthen workplace discrimination protections in response to attacks on DEI.⁶
Voting Rights Act protections
Restore and widen protections by law, such as federal approval of voting changes in places with a history of discrimination (for example, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act)
His campaign website says he would pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to ban discriminatory voting practices and guarantee equal access to voting.⁶
Mandatory minimum sentences
Reduce or end mandatory minimums for nonviolent drug crimes
His campaign website says he would advance sentencing reforms that eliminate mandatory minimums for nonviolent offenses.⁶
Collective bargaining for public employees
His campaign website says he would protect the pay, retirement security, health benefits and collective bargaining rights of civilian federal workers and servicemembers.⁶
Cryptocurrency rules
His campaign website says he would establish standards for cryptocurrencies and other financial technologies that protect consumers from scams and abuse, and lists calling on Democratic leaders in Congress to pass clear national cryptocurrency regulations.⁶
Federal minimum wage
Raise to $15 or more
His campaign website says he would lift the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, up from $7.25, and index it to inflation.⁶
Small business loans and programs
His campaign website says he would expand federal small business lending and federal contracting opportunities for minority-owned businesses, and fully fund the Minority Business Development Agency.⁶
Union organizing rules
Make it easier to form a union (for example, the PRO Act)
His campaign website says he would pass the PRO Act to defend the right to organize, expand collective bargaining protections and crack down on wage theft and worker misclassification.⁶
Student loan forgiveness
His campaign website says he would bring back and widen student loan forgiveness and protect income-driven repayment plans.⁶
US Department of Education
Keep the department and its programs, or expand it
His campaign website says that, with the Trump administration trying to close the Department of Education, Congress must act quickly to help reverse the administration's actions.⁶
Campaign finance rules
Limit spending by outside groups, including by amending the Constitution to overturn Citizens United
His campaign website says he would overturn Citizens United and curb the sway of unlimited corporate money over elections.⁶
Drawing district lines (redistricting)
His campaign website lists among his accomplishments fighting for fairer congressional maps in Maryland to push back against partisan gerrymandering in red states.⁶
Federal workforce and job protections
His campaign website says he would shield federal employees from political retaliation and defend merit-based hiring and the civil service against efforts to weaken them.⁶
Stock trading by members of Congress
Ban members themselves from trading individual stocks
His campaign website says he would ban members of Congress from trading individual stocks.⁶
Data centers and electricity costs
His campaign website says he supports responsible investment in data centers that ensures companies pay their fair share, use renewable energy and take community input into account.⁶
Offshore wind power
Lease more ocean sites and speed approvals to build more offshore wind
His campaign website says he would expand solar, offshore wind and clean energy manufacturing.⁶
Air pollution limits
His campaign website says he would pursue environmental justice by cutting pollution in overburdened communities and addressing power plant emissions, water pollution and industrial contamination in Southern Maryland.⁶
Child care costs
His campaign website says he would guarantee universal child care and make child care and early childhood education universal and accessible.⁶
Child tax credit
His campaign website says he would expand and protect the Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit.⁶
Aid to Ukraine
His campaign website lists supporting Ukraine's defense against Russian aggression among his priorities.⁶
Military aid to Israel
His campaign website says he would strengthen the U.S.-Israel alliance and make sure Israel gets the security aid it needs to protect itself from Hamas and other terrorist threats, and would increase humanitarian aid for Palestinian civilians with safeguards against diversion by Hamas.⁶
US role in NATO
His campaign website says he would stand with democratic allies by strengthening NATO.⁶
Who decides on military action
Let the president act first, but enforce the 60-day limit and end any action Congress doesn't approve
His campaign website says he would enforce the War Powers Resolution so that no president can take the United States into a prolonged conflict without congressional approval.⁶
Federal Medicaid funding
Reverse the 2025 changes or increase federal funding
His campaign website says he would protect and fully restore Medicaid expansion, reversing Republican cuts.⁶
Federal vaccine recommendations
His campaign website says he would restore and strengthen federal public health agencies and vaccine programs so that science, not politics, guides decisions.⁶
Health insurance system
His campaign website says he would pass Medicare for All with a public option, so that people who like their private health insurance can keep it, and establish universal health coverage.⁶
Help for first-time homebuyers
His campaign website says he would help first-time buyers become homeowners with down payment assistance, enforcement of fair lending laws and wider access to credit.⁶
Large investors buying single-family homes
His campaign website says he would bar hedge funds and other big institutional investors from purchasing single-family homes, and lists in his track record sponsoring a Maryland bill to limit institutional investors' ability to buy them.⁶
Asylum rules
His campaign website says he would fix the asylum system by hiring more case officers and expanding immigration courts so the backlog is cleared.⁶
Border wall and barriers
His campaign website says he would secure the border with advanced detection technology, stronger anti-trafficking operations and modernized ports of entry.⁶
Immigration enforcement inside the country
Abolish ICE and move any remaining enforcement work to other agencies
His campaign website says he would abolish ICE and pass comprehensive immigration reform, and would focus enforcement resources on violent offenders, traffickers and cartel networks.⁶
Legal immigration levels
Admit more immigrants, such as by adding work visas or clearing family backlogs
His campaign website says he would widen legal paths to immigration by simplifying work, student and family visas.⁶
Masks and identification for immigration officers
His campaign website lists among his accomplishments cosponsoring Maryland legislation that would require law enforcement officers to identify themselves and prohibit masks that conceal their identities during immigration enforcement.⁶
State and local role in immigration enforcement
His campaign website lists among his accomplishments cosponsoring a Maryland package that would bar local law enforcement from immigration enforcement agreements with federal authorities and protect schools, libraries and state facilities from immigration enforcement.⁶
Highway and transit funding
His campaign website says he would fight for strong federal investment in transportation, including full funding for Southern Maryland Rapid Transit, investment in Metro modernization and bus connections, and federal funding to expand MD 3 and US 301.⁶
Medicare drug price negotiation
Expand it to more drugs and to people with private insurance
His campaign website says he would expand Medicare's power to negotiate drug prices and extend those savings into the commercial market.⁶
Social Security benefit levels
His campaign website says he would protect Social Security and the benefits seniors have earned and depend on.⁶
State minimum wage
Raise it and increase it automatically each year with inflation
His campaign website lists in his track record a three-year push to raise Maryland's minimum wage and link future raises to inflation.⁶
Federal income tax rates
His campaign website says he would lower taxes on working and middle-class families and close loopholes that it says let large corporations and the very wealthy avoid their fair share.⁶
Private care for veterans
His campaign website says he would reduce wait times and expand specialty services at the VA, and expand community care options for women veterans when VA facilities cannot meet demand.⁶

Chris Chaffee — 4 issues

Term limits for Congress
His campaign website says he would push for term limits and would limit himself to three terms.⁷
Iran's nuclear program and sanctions
His campaign website says he is not for boots on the ground, that Iran's means to enrich uranium should be ended, and that inspectors should be sent in to find and remove any nuclear fuel and to end the war with Iran.⁷
Gas tax and road funding
Cut or suspend the federal gas tax
His campaign website says the federal and state governments should suspend the fuel tax for 30 days to help lower fuel prices.⁷
Fraud and improper payments in federal programs
His campaign website lists ending government fraud, waste and abuse among his pledges.⁷

Issue statements are drafted by AI from the public sources cited, and only cover what each candidate has said publicly.

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