2006 New Member Profiles
Maryland Senate: Ben Cardin (D)

The Almanac of American Politics
© National Journal Group Inc.

Ben Cardin
Born:	October 5, 1943
Family:	Wife, Myrna; one child
Religion:	Jewish
Education:	University of Pittsburgh, B.A. 1964; University of Maryland, L.L.B., J.D. 1967
Career:	Lawyer
Elected  Office:	Maryland House, 1966-86; Maryland House speaker, 1979-86; U.S. House, 1986-2006

Ben Cardin has held elected office for 40 of his 63 years. That long career in public service was both an asset and a disadvantage in his bid to succeed retiring five-term Democratic Sen. Paul Sarbanes.

Cardin grew up in a family of politicians. The son and nephew of state legislators, he was still in law school when he succeeded his uncle in Maryland's House of Delegates. There, he chaired the powerful Ways and Means Committee before he turned 30, and at age 35 he ascended to the speakership, a position he held for seven years. He was interested in the governorship, but when Barbara Mikulski left her 3rd Congressional District seat in 1986 to run for the Senate, he made a successful bid to take her place.

In Washington, Cardin earned a reputation during his 10 House terms as a serious, consensus-minded lawmaker who could work across party lines. When he announced his intention to seek Sarbanes's Senate seat though, his studious, low-key demeanor prompted questions about his viability as a compelling statewide candidate. Still, he began the campaign as the front-runner in a crowded field of 18 Democrats. His most competitive opponent was former Democratic Rep. Kweisi Mfume, who resigned his House seat in 1996 to chair the NAACP.

The primary campaign was marked by prolific spending. Cardin, Mfume, and wealthy businessman Joshua Rales doled out a total of more than $12 million. Cardin outspent Mfume by nearly 4-to-1, although Mfume's compelling life story and charisma neutralized that financial advantage. Ultimately, however, Cardin's broader base of support carried him to a 44 percent to 41 percent win over Mfume in the September 12 primary; Rales finished third with 5 percent.

In the general election, Cardin faced GOP Lt. Gov. Michael Steele, the first African-American statewide officeholder in Maryland. Cardin might have been expected to breeze to victory in this reliably Democratic state, but Steele emerged as an unusually talented candidate -- something national Republicans recognized when they recruited him.

Steele's talent for retail politicking, combined with quirky ads designed to portray him as a political outsider, underscored the nominees' stylistic differences. Steele sought to distance himself from his party and targeted African-American voters in majority-black Prince George's County, a rich vein of traditionally Democratic votes. He made inroads with black voters, but in a political environment that was decidedly hostile to Republicans, it was not enough to overcome the Democratic advertising onslaught linking him to President Bush.