College Park Resident to Challenge Sen. Cardin in 2012

A College Park resident announced today that he will challenge Democrat incumbent Ben Cardin for his seat in the U.S. Senate in the 2012 election.

Richard Douglas, a Republican, said in a statement he is disappointed with Cardin's leadership, and that has motivated his own run for office.

"My opponent, Ben Cardin, has not led; he has instead followed a path of inaction when leadership and action were urgently required," the release stated.

Douglas' spokesman was not immediately available for comment.

In the 2006 election, Cardin won over Republican candidate Michael Steele with 54.2 percent of the vote. Douglas will face seriously unbalanced voter party affiliations. Of the 3.5 million registered voters in Maryland, only 26.5 percent are registered Republicans.

According to the release and his candidacy website, Douglas:

• Enlisted in the Navy in 1974, then became a reserve officer in 1992;
• served in Iraq in 2006 and is a Lieutenant Commander in the Naval Reserve;
• has a bachelor's degree, a law degree and a master's degree;
• entered the Foreign Service in 1986. He served in Juarez, Mexico and in the Spanish Basque port city Bilbao. He earned the State Department's Superior Honor Award and a Meritorious Honor Award;
• joined the Justice Department in 1998;
• served as chief counsel to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and general counsel to the Senate Intelligence Committee;
• served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense.

Former Maryland State Republican Chairwoman Audrey Scott endorses Douglas in his press release. Current Maryland GOP Chairman Alex Mooney was not immediately available for comment.