Charles County Commissioner President Reuben B. Collins II, Esq., filed to run for Maryland’s open 5th Congressional District seat on February 12, 2026, entering a rapidly expanding Democratic primary to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Steny H. Hoyer, who announced his departure January 7, 2026, after 45 years representing the district.
Collins, the first African American to serve as Charles County commissioner president since his 2018 election, positions his candidacy as bringing a strong southern Maryland perspective to the race. The 5th District stretches from Charles, Calvert, and St. Mary’s counties through parts of Anne Arundel and Prince George’s, a solidly Democratic area where the June 23, 2026, primary is expected to determine the next representative.
A lifelong Charles County resident born in Bryans Road, Collins attended public schools locally before earning a bachelor’s degree in political science from Fisk University and a Juris Doctor from the District of Columbia School of Law. He has practiced law through R. B. Collins Law, LLC, with a focus on corporate and employment law. His elected service began with two terms as District 3 commissioner from 2006 to 2014, including time as vice president, before his return and elevation to president in 2018.
Collins chairs the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments in 2026 and serves on the Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland. His platform emphasizes economic growth, education funding, infrastructure upgrades, broadband expansion, and support for small businesses—issues he highlights from his handling of pandemic recovery efforts and regional transportation advocacy.
The field grew quickly after Hoyer’s retirement announcement on the House floor, where he endorsed Del. Adrian Boafo (D-Prince George’s), his former campaign manager, for the seat. Other Democratic candidates include Prince George’s County Councilmember Wala Blegay, former U.S. Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn, Del. Nicole Williams, Quincy Bareebe, Terry Jackson, Harry Jarin, Heather Luper, and Alexis Solis. Republicans list Michelle Talkington, with potential additional entries. The district’s 2-1 Democratic registration edge makes the primary decisive.
Collins’ announcement follows scrutiny during his commissioner tenure. In February 2023, an internal audit revealed $1,509.19 in personal charges on a county-issued credit card, including a family dinner. Collins addressed the matter at the February 14, 2023, commissioners’ meeting, accepted responsibility, repaid the full amount, and supported revised policies for card usage monitoring. No criminal charges were filed.
Collins also voted with Commissioner Thomasina Coates and Commissioner Ralph Patterson in December 2022 to terminate County Administrator Mark Belton. The action followed a 2020 investigative report—unsealed in 2023—that documented Coates’ emails expressing racial bias against Belton, a white employee, including preferences for non-white candidates in leadership roles. The board had privately censured Coates in 2020 and restricted her involvement in Belton’s personnel decisions. Commissioners Amanda Stewart and Gilbert Bowling sued to enforce the injunction, leading to a Maryland Appellate Court ruling on June 30, 2025, upholding the permanent ban on Coates’ participation, with the Maryland Supreme Court denying review October 27, 2025.
The litigation generated $1,572,005.90 in legal fees by October 31, 2025, according to Deputy County Attorney Elizabeth Theobalds, covering costs for Coates ($248,204), Bowling ($102,178), Stewart, Belton, and the board—figures that exclude additional appellate expenses. Belton filed a federal discrimination lawsuit in December 2025 against the board and individual commissioners.
Collins, who lives in Bryans Road with his wife Debborah and children Janiya, Tyme, and Taj, frames his congressional bid around defending local interests in a district home to major federal employers such as Joint Base Andrews and Naval Air Station Patuxent River. Early fundraising shows Prince George’s candidates leading, but Collins’ name recognition in southern counties could prove competitive in a fragmented primary.