Mfume announces U.S. Senate bid.

[nickshepDEM]

Kweisi Mfume, a former Maryland congressman and national NAACP president, today became the first Democrat to make official his bid to succeed Sen. Paul S. Sarbanes (D-Maryland).

"My goal is to give a new voice to the issues that affect every-day working men and working women and the families that they are a part of," Mfume said during a late morning press conference in a lounge at Camden Yards, where he was joined by five of his six sons.

Sarbanes's announcement set off jockeying among would-be successors, with every Democrat in the Maryland congressional delegation but one, Rep. Steny Hoyer, signaling Friday that they would take a look at the race.

Speculation about Republican candidates has focused on Lt. Gov Michael S. Steele and and state Sen E.J. Pipkin (R-Queen Anne's), who ran for the Senate unsuccessfully last year against Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Maryland). "I hope that this early start says to people that I'm very serious about this," Mfume said.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/w-dyn/articles/A33725-2005Mar14.html