Maryland's 5th Congressional District

Maryland's 5th Congressional District is represented by Steny Hoyer (Democrat), who has held the seat since 1981. Hoyer has an overall VoteSee report card grade of C, voted in 97% of roll-call votes on bills this Congress, and votes with the Democratic majority 95% of the time. The district includes Waldorf, Bowie, and Odenton. It takes in all or part of 5 counties; the most populous parts are in Prince George's County and Anne Arundel County. About 791,000 people live in the district, and the median household income is $130,777.

Current Representative

Steny Hoyer (Democrat) has represented Maryland's 5th Congressional District since 1981.

VoteSee report card grade: C
Attendance in the 119th Congress: 97% of roll-call votes on bills
Votes with the Democrat majority: 95%

See Steny Hoyer's full voting record and issue positions →

2026 Election

U.S. House: Maryland 5th District

Winner: Adrian Boafo.

This is an open seat: Steny Hoyer is not running for re-election. 2 candidates were on the Nov 3, 2026 ballot.

Adrian Boafo (Democratic): raised $1.9M, $92K cash on hand
Chris Chaffee (Republican)

Polls: No public polls

See the full 2026 race →

District Demographics

Population: 791,419
Median household income: $130,777
Median age: 40
Median home value: $457,800
Bachelor's degree or higher: 42.1%

Source: American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates, 119th Congress boundaries.

How Hoyer Voted Recently

Yea on American Enrichment Deployment Act (Nov 9, 2026) — Passed
Yea on Nuclear REFUEL (Recycling Efficient Fuels Utilizing Expedited Licensing) Act (Nov 9, 2026) — Passed
Yea on Retire through Ownership Act (Sep 16, 2026) — Passed
Yea on Water Resources Development Act of 2026 (Sep 16, 2026) — Passed
Yea on Ratepayer Protection Act (Sep 16, 2026) — Passed

Breaks with the Democrat majority

Yea on Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 (Sep 16, 2026) — Passed
No on National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027 (Jul 21, 2026) — Agreed to
No on National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2027 (Jul 15, 2026) — Failed

Who Held This Seat Before

Members of Congress who previously represented Maryland's 5th Congressional District. District lines are redrawn after each census, so earlier members may have represented a different area under this number.

Gladys Spellman — Democrat (1975–1981)
Lawrence Hogan — Republican (1969–1975)
Hervey Machen — Democrat (1965–1969)
Richard Lankford — Democrat (1955–1965)
Frank Small — Republican (1953–1955)
Lansdale Sasscer — Democrat (1939–1953)
Stephen Gambrill — Democrat (1923–1939)
Sydney Mudd — Republican (1915–1925)
Frank Smith — Democrat (1913–1915)
Thomas Parran — Republican (1911–1913)
Sydney Mudd — Republican (1897–1911)
Charles Coffin — Republican (1893–1897)

Where the District Is

Maryland's 5th Congressional District covers 1,517 square miles of land. Boundaries are for the current (119th) Congress.

Counties

Prince George's County (part): 30% of residents
Anne Arundel County (part): 22% of residents
Charles County: 22% of residents
St. Mary's County: 15% of residents
Calvert County: 12% of residents

Largest communities

Waldorf
Bowie
Odenton (part)
Crofton
Maryland City
Bensville
Kettering
Accokeek (part)