The 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Maryland were held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012, to elect the eight U.S. representatives from the state of Maryland, one from each of the state's eight congressional districts. The elections coincided with the elections of other federal and state offices, including the quadrennial presidential election and an election to the U.S. Senate.
The new congressional map, drawn and passed by the Democratic-controlled Maryland General Assembly, was signed into law by Governor Martin O'Malley on October 20, 2011. The map made the 6th district, at that time represented by Republican Roscoe Bartlett, much more favorable to Democrats.
The redrawn 1st district includes Caroline, Cecil, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne's, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico, and Worcester counties, as well as parts of Baltimore, Carroll, and Harford counties. Republican incumbent Andy Harris, who had been first elected in 2010, ran for re-election.
After Rosen won the primary, she was forced to withdraw from the race on September 10, 2012, after evidence surfaced that she had voted in both Maryland and Florida in the 2006 and 2008 elections. Rosen had property in Florida, and Maryland law allowed property owners to vote in local elections even if they live elsewhere. However, her Florida voting registration reportedly also gave her access to state and federal elections there, something which was not allowed by Maryland law. As the deadline for replacing a candidate on the general election ballot was August 28, members of the Democratic Central Committees of each county in the district had to choose a write-in candidate to run in November. Two potential candidates who indicated an interest were former U.S. Representative Wayne Gilchrest, who represented the 1st district as a Republican from 1991 to 2009, and LaFerla, who finished a close second in the primary. LaFerla was then endorsed as the Democratic write-in candidate.
The redrawn 2nd district includes parts of Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Harford, and Howard counties, and parts of the city of Baltimore. Democrat Dutch Ruppersberger, who had represented the 2nd district since 2003, ran for re-election.
The redrawn 3rd district includes parts of Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Howard, and Montgomery counties, and parts of the city of Baltimore. Democrat John Sarbanes, who had represented the 3rd district since 2007, ran for re-election.
The redrawn 4th district includes parts of Anne Arundel and Prince George's counties. Democrat Donna Edwards, who had represented the 4th district since 2008, ran for re-election.
The redrawn 5th district includes Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary's counties, as well as parts of Anne Arundel and Prince George's counties. Democrat Steny Hoyer, who had represented the 5th district since 1981, ran from re-election
Jeremy Stinson, an unaffiliated candidate, did not secure a ballot nomination and ran as a write-in candidate.
The redrawn 6th district includes Allegany, Garrett, and Washington counties, as well as parts of Frederick and Montgomery counties. Republican Roscoe Bartlett, who had represented the 6th district since 1993, ran for re-election.
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Facing a district that had been significantly redrawn to favor the Democrats (going from a seat that McCain carried with 57%, Obama would have carried the redrawn seat with 56%), the Bartlett campaign faced further difficulties when the Federal Election Commission fined Bartlett $5,000 for repeatedly failing to submit accurate campaign finance disclosure reports.
When Todd Akin made his controversial comments about female biology, Bartlett immediately repudiated them, adding, "There is no room in politics for these types of statements... As a human physiologist I know there is no scientific backing to Todd's claims." He reiterated that his view on abortion exceptions has been "the same for twenty years. I'm pro-life, with exceptions for the life of the mother, rape and incest... I'm so avidly pro-life I'm against corporal punishment."
However, it was later revealed that in 2001 Bartlett had supported a constitutional amendment which did not include the rape and incest exceptions.
The redrawn 7th district includes parts of Baltimore and Howard counties, and parts of the city of Baltimore. Democrat Elijah Cummings, who had represented the 7th district since 1996, ran for re-election.
The redrawn 8th district will include parts of Carroll, Frederick, and Montgomery counties. Democrat Chris Van Hollen, who had represented the 8th district since 2003, ran for re-election.