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There will not be a contested Republican primary in the District 33 state Senate race this year after all.
Sen. Ed Reilly (R-Anne Arundel) withdrew from the contest on Monday, just days after Del. Sid A. Saab聽.
In an interview, Reilly insisted that he made up his mind to leave politics four years ago ago, following a tough 2018 election fight 鈥� and not because of Saab.
鈥淗e and I reached an agreement six months that he was going to run and I was going to step back,鈥� the lawmaker said. 鈥淲e consciously waited because 鈥� as the incumbent senator 鈥� I knew that there would not be a lot of challenges to my re-election and I just withdrew my name today at 2 o鈥檆lock.鈥�
鈥淚t was a planned process,鈥� he added.
Publicly, the senator and delegate made statements to the contrary as recently as last week. When Saab filed to run for the senate on the last day of the General Assembly session, Reilly said Saab鈥檚 decision to run prompted him to consider retiring. Saab had been publicly聽聽until mid-December, when he filed for re-election.
The owner of an insurance firm, the 72-year-old Reilly has served in the Senate since 2009. He was twice elected to the Anne Arundel County Council during the 2000s.
鈥淭he last election took a lot out of me,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 an old white male, so I was kind of targeted by many of the progressive women鈥檚 groups in the county.鈥�
Reilly survived the 鈥�18 race, two years after Donald Trump took office, defeating Democrat Eve Hurwitz (D) with 54% of the vote.
Reilly said a combination of issues 鈥� redistricting, abortion access and marijuana legalization among them 鈥� reinforced his decision to leave Annapolis after 13 years.
鈥淚鈥檒l be 73 in January when my term ends,鈥� he said. 鈥淭ime for young blood to come and carry the load.鈥�
During the recent legislative session, the Joint Committee on Legislative Ethics found Reilly improperly used 鈥渢he prestige of his state position鈥� by telling a constituent he wouldn鈥檛 follow through on legislation he鈥檇 promised to work with her on after she contributed money to his Democratic challenger. The ethics committee sent a 鈥渓etter of education and advice鈥� to the senator聽.
Despite the national outlook, which may favor Republicans, Reilly thinks Maryland Democrats have 鈥渁 good chance of maintaining or growing [seats] because of gerrymandering.鈥�
Saab and Democratic candidate Dawn Gile, a lawyer and nonprofit leader who has been running since last summer, are now uncontested in their party primaries.
Once a conservative stronghold, District 33, which takes in Severna Park, Millersville, Crofton, Davidsonville and parts of the Broadneck peninsula, has turned increasingly purple in recent years, and the Maryland General Assembly made it even more favorable for Democrats in the latest round of redistricting.
Danielle E. Gaines contributed to this report.聽
