William Jawando, a former Obama administration official, is planning to run for Democratic Rep. Chris Van Hollen’s seat in Maryland’s 8th Congressional District.
Van Hollen has said he plans to run for retiring Democratic Sen. Barbara Mikulski’s seat.
A native of Silver Spring, Jawando filed the necessary paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to set up a fundraising committee — Will Jawando for Congress — for his run on Monday, he told CNN.
“While I plan to formally announce my candidacy in May, I’m humbled by the outpouring of support I’ve received from families across the 8th District who have urged me to fight for them in the United States House of Representatives,” Jawando told CNN. “I grew up here and it’s where I’m raising my three daughters with my wife, Michele.”
Jawando, who narrowly lost a bid for a Maryland delegate seat last year, served as deputy director of strategic partnerships and special assistant to Education Secretary Arne Duncan. Prior to that, he was associate director of the White House Office of Public Engagement. He joined the Raben Group in 2013, according to a biography on the consulting firm’s website.
“To solve the significant challenges we face, we need new leadership, fresh ideas and an inclusive approach to making Congress work for working families — that’s the kind of leader I’ll be,” he said. “Together, we’ll fight to bring more good paying jobs to our neighborhoods, strengthen our schools and ensure equal justice and opportunity for all.”
Jawando has some experience on Capitol Hill. He was a congressional staffer for nearly eight years, working for Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-California, then-Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, and Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, he told CNN.