Sen. Ben Cardin has visited different parts of the state in recent weeks on a farewell tour and delivered his final speech on the Senate floor, but Maryland’s senior senator is making one thing clear: This is not a goodbye, just goodbye for now.
The Maryland Democrat has yet to determine what his next steps will be, but even after 58 years in office, Cardin says his time in politics is not over.
“It’s been a long journey, I’ve been very lucky,” Cardin said in a recent interview. “I am proud of what I was able to accomplish. There were 18 elections – people really trusted me.
Born in Baltimore on October 5, 1943, Cardin attended the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Maryland Law School, but got his start in politics at an early age. He won election to the Maryland House of Delegates in 1966 while still in law school, at the age of 23. He would serve in the Maryland House for the next 20 years, including the last eight as Speaker of the House, which he considered a career highlight.
“I think the years as president were very impactful for me,” Cardin said.
“Speaker of the House, you are selected by your peers. This is because they know you best. It’s not just an honor but an opportunity,” he said. “The President can really do a lot.”
He was elected to represent Maryland’s 3rd District in Congress in 1986, filling the seat vacated by another Maryland political icon, Barbara Mikuski, when she became Maryland’s first female senator. In 2006, he was elected to fill the seat of incumbent Senator Paul Sarbanes, who resigned after 30 years in the Senate.
There, he chaired the Small Business Committee and was elevated last year to chair the Senate Foreign Relations Committee after then-chairman Sen. Robert Menendez was forced to resign in the face of indictment federal government for corruption.
Cardin – who counts the passage of the Magnitsky Act, which allows the United States to impose financial and travel sanctions on foreign officials, as one of his major accomplishments – counts his time as chairman of the Committee on foreign relations as another career highlight.
“Being a United States senator…is the most unique institution in the world,” he said. “And being part of this senatorial family is truly unique. »
During his 58 years as an elected official, Cardin has addressed nearly every political issue, from writing a bipartisan bill to expand retirement programs, to promoting dental care for children in federal health programs and advocating for the health of the Chesapeake Bay, among others. .
But in May 2023, Cardin announced that he had no plans to seek re-election.
“I am proud of what I was able to accomplish. There were 18 elections – people really trusted me.
His departure is bittersweet for the Democrat. On the one hand, by resigning, he helped make way for Maryland’s first black U.S. senator, former Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, a Democrat who beat former Gov. Larry Hogan for the job in November .
On the other hand, 2025 will mark the start of a second Donald Trump administration, and Cardin fears the political atmosphere will be more divided than ever.
“We have a very divided nation. And I hope the Trump administration recognizes that, I hope they try to bring our nation together,” he said.
As he temporarily leaves public office, he wants to impress upon Marylanders and the state’s political leaders that people “need to listen” to others to get ahead.
“It’s so important that when you listen to each other and bring everyone to the table, you’re going to get better results.” You get better solutions. Solutions that will last longer, rather than changing every two years,” Cardin said.
As for what’s next, he doesn’t really know what his retirement from public service will look like, but he assures that he will continue to be part of the political sphere in one way or another, and that he could find the things he focused on as an elected official. such as foreign affairs, civic engagement or environmental work.
His last full year as a congressman also served as a farewell tour. In August, he held his final town hall meeting as a U.S. senator at the Maryland Association of Counties conference in Ocean City, where Mayor Richard Meehan presented him a key to the city for his work to protect the environment in the region.
He spent November and December traveling to different parts of the state to thank local advocates and officials for their work throughout his nearly 60 years of service.
“This is an opportunity for me to thank my partners in some way. It’s been a real team effort,” he said. “And local officials, in particular, we’ve worked seamlessly to try to get things done for our constituents.”
One of his final victories was securing 100 percent federal funding to replace the Francis Scott Key Bridge, an effort that lasted until the early morning hours of December 21, in one of the last votes of the current Senate.
On December 10, Cardin delivered his final speech to the Senate.
“I come here today to say goodbye, as difficult as it may be,” he said. “The people of Maryland have trusted me to represent them for 20 years in the General Assembly, eight years as Speaker of the House, 20 years in the House of Representatives and 18 years in the United States Senate, including including as current chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. .
“Of course, the job of a legislator is not easy: it requires perseverance, patience, a sense of humor and optimism,” he said. “It can make the world a better place, even in the face of often horrific and seemingly insurmountable challenges.”