U.S. House · Maryland's 3rd District
Bernard Flowers
CandidateR
- Race
- U.S. House · Maryland's 3rd District
- Result
- Sarah Elfreth, projected winner
- Opponent
- Sarah Elfreth (D)
- Research
- Basic
Party linenone
No recorded floor votes — not a current legislator in our records.
Said vs. did1 statement · 0 votes
War should be used only to defend our country and our allies. It should be declared by Congress.
Require Congress to approve U.S. military action abroad
Compare statements with votes ›Said vs. did
Each documented position next to the recorded floor votes we map to the same issue. Votes are compared one at a time; no overall stance is inferred from them.
War should be used only to defend our country and our allies. It should be declared by Congress.
In his 2022 Ballotpedia survey (for the Maryland 2nd District race, in an answer about whom he looks up to), says war should be declared by Congress.[4]
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
Biography
Bernard Flowers, a Republican and retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel with nearly 21 years of active-duty service, lost the November 3, 2026 election for Maryland's 3rd Congressional District to Sarah Elfreth. He later worked in banking and as a Department of Defense civil servant, and ran in the 2022 Republican primary for the 2nd District before winning the 2026 nomination here.[1][2][3]
Basic profile — the most important sourced facts we found.
Flowers was born in Lumberton, North Carolina.[1] He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke in 1987 and a graduate degree from Golden Gate University in 1991, and he graduated from the U.S. Air Force War College in 2006.[1] He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1987 to 2008; according to his Ballotpedia survey response, his service included an assignment at the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, and deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.[1][2]
After retiring from the military, Flowers worked in banking and then returned to the Department of Defense as a civil servant, where he says he helped stand up U.S. Cyber Command and served as NORAD and U.S. Northern Command's Senior Technical Advisor at Fort Meade.[2] Ballotpedia lists his associations as Disabled American Veterans, the Ft. Meade Rifle and Pistol Club, and Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity.[1]
Flowers ran in the 2022 Republican primary for Maryland's 2nd Congressional District, finishing fourth with 13.2% of the vote.[1] He won the June 23, 2026 Republican primary for the 3rd District with 48.9% of the vote over John White, Ray Bly, and Felix Seier, and he faced Rep. Sarah Elfreth in the general election.[1] He received 32.7% of the vote to Sarah Elfreth's 67.3%, according to unofficial results reported by NBC News.[3]
In their own words
Priorities
- National defense, citing his 21 years of active duty and 13 years as a senior civil servant.[4]
- Empowering parents and promoting what he calls excellence in education rather than indoctrination.[4]
- Immigration reform, middle-class affordability, fiscal reform, term limits and infrastructure renewal.[4]
Statements, quoted without a stance
- Expand immigration enforcement and deportations
“Berney supports strong immigration enforcement and policies that prioritize national safety.”[5]
On his campaign website, in the third person
- Stricter gun laws
“Berney stands firmly with law-abiding gun owners and opposes any effort to erode this fundamental freedom.”[5]
On his campaign website, in the third person
- Increase police funding and staffing
“Our police officers are heroes. Berney will ensure they have the resources and respect they need to keep our communities safe.”[5]
On his campaign website, in the third person
- Faster transition away from fossil fuels
“Berney supports unleashing domestic energy production to fuel our economy and secure our future.”[5]
On his campaign website, in the third person
Campaign money$13K raised · 63% from individuals · FEC through 2026-06-30
Totals this cycle
Bars share one scale (raised = full). Cash on hand can include money carried over from earlier cycles.
Who gave
- Individuals $7,958
- PACs & committees $250
- Party $4,500
Largest committee contributions
No direct contributions from PACs or other committees in the FEC’s bulk data.
Direct contributions only; outside spending is not included. Individual donors are itemized in the FEC’s receipts. All itemized receipts ↗ FEC filing ↗
Profile: /people/bernard-flowers
Compare all 2 candidates side by side ›
Sources cited in this profile
- 1.Bernard Flowers · Ballotpedia Reference
- 2.Bernard Flowers Candidate Connection survey · Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey Candidate's own words
- 3.U.S. House · Maryland's 3rd District results 2026 · NBC News News report
- 4.Bernard Flowers Candidate Connection survey · Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey Candidate's own words
- 5.Flowers for Maryland · Flowers for Maryland Candidate's own words