Ben Cardin, a fixture in Maryland politics for over half a century, will now add another six years to his resume, winning re-election to the U.S. Senate Tuesday.
Cardin won 64.1 percent of the vote with almost all precincts reporting, according to the Maryland Board of Elections.
Cardin was first elected in 2006, defeating then-Lt. Governor Michael Steele. He won a second term in 2012, and will now be sworn into his third term Jan. 3.
Cardin, 75, was considered a strong favorite to win reelection in the heavily Democratic state, easily defeating whistleblower Chelsea Manning and retired faculty member Jerome Segal in the primaries.
His Republican challenger, Towson lecturer Tony Campbell, faced a significant cash disadvantage. Campbell had 31 percent of the vote.
The Washington Post reported Cardin was predicted to win due to his seniority and popularity among Democrats voters. His campaign cost around $4.2 million for this election cycle compared to Campbell’s $35,354 raised after the primaries, The Post also reported.
“I knew our free media would be few and far between and that he’d probably outspend us, like 10-1,” Campbell told The Post.
An independent candidate, Neal Simon, also ran against Cardin and Campbell. He received 3.7 percent of the vote.
Cardin, who was first elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 1966 and to the Senate in 2006, proposed creating a grant to address student loan issues in June.
The bill — which has been referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions — has been welcomed by both University of Maryland President Wallace Loh and Student Government Association President Jonathan Allen.
The SGA also voted unanimously to approve the legislation in May, as it aligns with their diversity and inclusion goals by planning to improve the lack of minority representation in public service, Allen said.
“What [the voters] want me to do is stand up for American values. But they also want us to get things done,” Cardin told The Baltimore Sun upon winning renomination.
