Candidate profile: Leigha Michele Messick

Maryland’s 5th Congressional District has a contested U.S. House race in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. The field includes 23 candidates: 20 Democrats, one Republican, one independent candidate and one candidate listed under “Other.”

Candidates in the race

Each candidate’s party and record status are listed below.

• Mark Arness — Democrat. No biography, funds-raised total, funds-spent total, cash-on-hand figure or documented policy position is on file.
• Reuben Burton II Collins — Democrat. No biography, funds-raised total, funds-spent total, cash-on-hand figure or documented policy position is on file.
• Rushern L Iii Baker — Democrat. No biography, funds-raised total, funds-spent total, cash-on-hand figure or documented policy position is on file.
• Harry Jarin — Democrat. No biography, funds-raised total, funds-spent total, cash-on-hand figure or documented policy position is on file.
• Michelle Talkington — Republican. No biography, funds-raised total, funds-spent total, cash-on-hand figure or documented policy position is on file.
• Quincy Bareebe — Democrat. No biography, funds-raised total, funds-spent total, cash-on-hand figure or documented policy position is on file.
• Brian Stephen Jordan — Independent. No biography, funds-raised total, funds-spent total, cash-on-hand figure or documented policy position is on file.
• Nicole Williams — Democrat. No biography, funds-raised total, funds-spent total, cash-on-hand figure or documented policy position is on file.
• Wala Blegay — Democrat. No biography, funds-raised total, funds-spent total, cash-on-hand figure or documented policy position is on file.
• Walter Kirkland — Democrat. No biography, funds-raised total, funds-spent total, cash-on-hand figure or documented policy position is on file.
• Adrian Boafo — Democrat. No biography, funds-raised total, funds-spent total, cash-on-hand figure or documented policy position is on file.
• Jerry Lightfoot — Democrat. No biography, funds-raised total, funds-spent total, cash-on-hand figure or documented policy position is on file.
• Harry Dunn — Democrat. No biography, funds-raised total, funds-spent total, cash-on-hand figure or documented policy position is on file.
• Leigha Michele Messick — Democrat. No biography, funds-raised total, funds-spent total, cash-on-hand figure or documented policy position is on file.
• Arthur Carr Ellis — Democrat. No biography, funds-raised total, funds-spent total, cash-on-hand figure or documented policy position is on file.
• Kenneth Simons — Democrat. No biography, funds-raised total, funds-spent total, cash-on-hand figure or documented policy position is on file.
• Mildred Marie Hall — Other. No biography, funds-raised total, funds-spent total, cash-on-hand figure or documented policy position is on file.
• Alexis Solis — Democrat. No biography, funds-raised total, funds-spent total, cash-on-hand figure or documented policy position is on file.
• Tracy Starr — Democrat. No biography, funds-raised total, funds-spent total, cash-on-hand figure or documented policy position is on file.
• Terry Antonio Mr. II Jackson — Democrat. No biography, funds-raised total, funds-spent total, cash-on-hand figure or documented policy position is on file.
• David Sundberg — Democrat. No biography, funds-raised total, funds-spent total, cash-on-hand figure or documented policy position is on file.
• Heather Marie Luper — Democrat. No biography, funds-raised total, funds-spent total, cash-on-hand figure or documented policy position is on file.
• Steny Hoyer — Democrat and incumbent. No biography, funds-raised total, funds-spent total, cash-on-hand figure or documented policy position is on file.

Policy positions and campaign finance

No candidate in the race has a documented policy position on file. There are also no funds-raised totals, funds-spent totals or cash-on-hand figures on file for any candidate.

Those records do not establish where the candidates stand on issues facing Maryland’s 5th District. They also do not show how much money any campaign has collected, spent or retained.

Election process

The listed contest is the Nov. 3, 2026, general election for Maryland’s 5th Congressional District. Process developments to watch include changes in candidate status, publication of the final ballot and the addition of campaign-finance records or documented policy positions.