Manning files to run for US Senate in Maryland
UNITED STATES: Chelsea Manning, the transgender former army private who was convicted of passing sensitive government documents to WikiLeaks, is seeking to run for the US Senate in Maryland, according to federal election filings.
Manning would be challenging Democrat Benjamin Cardin, who is in his second term in the Senate and is up for re-election in November. Cardin is Maryland’s senior senator and is considered an overwhelming favourite to win a third term.
Cardin’s spokeswoman and the Democratic Party of Maryland declined to comment on Manning’s filing. Manning also would have to file with the Maryland State Board of Elections to get her name on the ballot.
Manning declined to speak about her filing or to say why she might be running when reached at her home in Bethesda yesterday. She said she might release a statement in the coming days.
‘‘Our only statement on the record is ‘No statement,’ ‘‘ Manning said.
Manning, 30, who was formerly known as Bradley Manning, was convicted in 2013 of the largest leak of classified documents in US history and was sentenced to 35 years in prison. Last year, as President Barack Obama was nearing the end of his term in office, he commuted Manning’s sentence to time served, and she was released from a military prison in Kansas.
The news of Manning’s filing caught Maryland’s political class by surprise yesterday. It was first reported in a tweet by the conservative media outlet Red Maryland. Cardin, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has an extensive fundraising base in Maryland and is not considered particularly vulnerable to a challenge from any known figures within the state. However, a candidate with national name recognition, such as Manning, who comes in from the outside could tap a network of donors interested in elevating a progressive agenda.
Cardin’s spokeswoman and the Democratic Party of Maryland declined to comment on Manning’s filing.
Manning moved to Maryland after her release from prison. Since then, she has written for the Guardian and Medium on issues of transparency, free speech and civil liberties, transgender rights and computer security, according to her website.
Manning’s statement of candidacy was filed with the Federal Election Commission on Friday. She is running as a Democrat and refers to Maryland as her ‘‘home state’’ on her website.