BALTIMORE (AP) – Chelsea Manning’s bid for U.S. Senate threatens to upend the 2018 Maryland Democratic primary.
Political analysts say Manning’s high profile will prevent two-term Sen. Ben Cardin from essentially ignoring his primary challenger in the heavily Democratic state.
Cardin won the seat in an open race in 2006 and hasn’t faced a serious threat since.
Cardin said Tuesday in Baltimore that he looks forward to a strong campaign featuring Manning or anyone else.
A spokesman for Maryland’s Republican Party didn’t return an email seeking comment about whether Manning’s entry changes the GOP’s electoral strategy.
The transgender woman was known as Bradley Manning when she was convicted in 2013 of leaking a trove of classified documents. The former soldier was released from military prison in May after serving seven years of a 35-year sentence.
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