Adrian Boafo

DMember, Maryland House of Delegates

Won the June 23, 2026 Democratic primary in a field of more than 20 candidates.

Adrian Boafo is the Democratic nominee for the open Maryland 5th Congressional District seat. He is a member of the Maryland House of Delegates and a former campaign manager and field director for outgoing Rep. Steny Hoyer.[2][3]

Basic profile — the most important sourced facts we found.

On the record — official actions

  • billLed a three-year effort in the Maryland legislature to raise the state minimum wage and tie future increases to inflation.[3]
  • billCo-sponsored the Protection from Predatory Pricing Act of 2026 in the Maryland legislature.[3]
  • vote2023-04-04 · Voted yes on SB 555 (Fair Wage Act of 2023, accelerating Maryland's minimum wage to $15 an hour), which passed the House of Delegates 102-38 on April 4, 2023.[6]
  • vote2023-04-10 · Voted yes on SB 1 (Gun Safety Act of 2023, restricting where firearms may be carried and creating new sensitive-location restrictions), which passed the House of Delegates 93-42 on April 10, 2023.[7]
  • vote2025-04-07 · Voted yes on HB 352 (Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act of 2025, creating new state income-tax brackets and a capital-gains surtax on high earners), which passed the House of Delegates 94-46 on April 7, 2025.[8]

Positions on the issues

  • SupportsRaise the minimum wageFrom recorded votes

    Voted yes on SB 555, the Fair Wage Act of 2023, which accelerated Maryland's minimum wage to $15 an hour.[6]

    What they say: Wants to raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 an hour and tie it to inflation, citing his work leading a three-year effort to raise Maryland's minimum wage.[3]

  • SupportsUniversal, publicly funded child care

    Says he will guarantee universal childcare so no parent has to choose between earning a paycheck and caring for their child.[3]

  • SupportsRaise taxes on high earners or corporationsFrom recorded votes

    Voted yes on HB 352, the Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act of 2025, which created new state income-tax brackets and a capital-gains surtax on high earners.[8]

    What they say: Says he will cut taxes for working and middle-class families while closing loopholes that let large corporations and wealthy individuals avoid paying what he calls their fair share.[3]

  • SupportsStricter gun lawsFrom recorded votes

    Voted yes on SB 1, the Gun Safety Act of 2023, which restricted where firearms may be carried and created new sensitive-location restrictions.[7]

    What they say: Says he will advance gun safety reforms to protect schools and children and invest in mental health services.[3]

In their words — priorities

  • Affordability, including raising the federal minimum wage, cutting taxes for working families, and expanding the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit.[3]
  • Guaranteeing universal childcare so parents do not have to choose between work and caring for their children.[3]
  • Democracy and civil rights, including overturning Citizens United and passing the Equality Act and John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.[3]

Background

  • Born in Arlington, Virginia; earned a B.A. in government and public policy from the University of Baltimore in 2016 and an M.B.A. from American University in 2019.[2]
  • Worked as senior director of government affairs with Oracle Corporation and as campaign manager and field director for Steny Hoyer.[2]
  • Serves on the Maryland House of Delegates Economic Matters Committee.[2]

Campaign money

Raised $1.7M · spent $1.6M · $92K cash on hand (through 2026-06-30) FEC filing ↗

Also on the ballot for this seat: Chris Chaffee · Compare side by side

Sources cited in this profile

  1. 2.Adrian Boafo · Ballotpedia Reference
  2. 3.Adrian Boafo campaign website statement · Adrian Boafo campaign website, via Ballotpedia Candidate's own words
  3. 6.Maryland House of Delegates vote, SB 555 (2023) Fair Wage Act of 2023 — Third Reading · Maryland General Assembly · 2023-04-04 Official record
  4. 7.Maryland House of Delegates vote, SB 1 (2023) Gun Safety Act of 2023 — Third Reading · Maryland General Assembly · 2023-04-10 Official record
  5. 8.Maryland House of Delegates vote, HB 352 (2025) Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act of 2025 — Third Reading and Final Passage · Maryland General Assembly · 2025-04-07 Official record