Maryland Sen. Ben Cardin has run his last race. The longtime Democrat will not seek re-election in 2024, he announced Monday. “It is time,” Cardin said alongside his wife in a video posted to his YouTube channel. “And when this term ends, it will be my last years as an elected official. I will not seek re-election.” Cardin was elected to the Senate in 2006 after representing Maryland’s 3rd Congressional District since 1987. The 79-year-old’s absence clears the way for what is expected to be a competitive election cycle to fill his shoes 2024. This will especially be the case for Democrats, who have controlled Maryland’s two Senate seats since 1980. But there is speculation that Larry Hogan, the popular former Republican governor, is mulling over a Senate bid, too.