DEMOCRATS:
Ben Cardin, 61, of Baltimore — served 20 years in the Maryland General Assembly, including five years as House speaker, and was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1987. He holds a law degree from the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Cardin has raised more than $1.2 million in campaign funds and collected dozens of endorsements from regional leaders. http://www.bencardin.com.
A. Robert Kaufman, 74, of Baltimore — a socialist who has run several unsuccessful campaigns for public office. Kaufman announced his Senate candidacy in May, but his campaign has been on hold since he was stabbed and beaten by an assailant in June.
Allan Lichtman, 58, of Bethesda — American University history department chairman and political analyst, will formally announce his candidacy Sept. 28. Lichtman wrote the bestselling book “The Thirteen Keys to the Presidency” and has been an expert witness in civil rights cases. He conducted the statistical analysis for a controversial Civil Rights Commission report that found a disproportionate number of African-American votes were thrown out in Florida in the 2000 election. http://www.allanlichtman.com.
Kweisi Mfume, 56, of Baltimore — served five terms in Congress from Maryland’s 7th District and was NAACP president until last year. He holds a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins and was on the Baltimore City Council for seven years. Mfume has raised more than $230,000, according to Federal Elections Commission filings. http://www.mfumeforsenate.com.
Lise Van Susteren, 54, of Bethesda — a forensic psychiatrist best known for being the older sibling of Fox News anchor Greta Van Susteren. Van Susteren, who volunteered as a counselor in the Gulf after Hurricane Katrina, holds a doctorate in medicine from the University of Paris and has taught psychiatry at Georgetown University since 1998. http://www.vansusterenforsenate.com. REPUBLICANS:
Thomas J. Hampton, 51, of Severna Park — controller for a manufacturer, he has no previous experience in public office. A passionate advocate for cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay, he has not sought party assistance for his campaign because he wants to distance himself from the establishment. http://www.hamptonforsenate.com.
Michael Steele, 46, of Largo — a lawyer, former state party chairman and lieutenant governor since 2003 who has yet to declare his candidacy. However, his exploratory committee filed a statement of candidacy with the Federal Elections Commission in June, a move that allows him to raise campaign funds without limitation. http://www.michaelsteeleforsenate.com is under construction.
Corragan Vaughn, 39, of Baltimore — is a businessman who ran for U.S. Senate in 2004. A former radio show host, Vaughn led a faith-based delegation to churches in hurricane-hit states last week. http://www.teamvaughn.org/ INDEPENDENT:
Kevin Zeese, 49, of Takoma Park — served as Ralph Nader’s campaign spokesman last year. Angling for Populist, Green and Libertarian party endorsements, Zeese heads Democracy Rising, a nonprofit working for an exit plan from Iraq, and advocates for paper trails in electronic voting. With about $10,000 raised so far, Zeese, a George Washington University law school graduate, has a fundraiser scheduled with anti-war mom Cindy Sheehan on Sept. 27. http://www.kevinzeese.com.