Ruff beats Attar in MD Senate primary, AP calls

Maryland Del. Malcolm Ruff bested incumbent Sen. Dalya Attar, whose criminal indictment weighed her down in the Democratic primary, in the race to serve as the Senate representative for the state’s 41st legislative district serving Baltimore.

The Associated Press projected Ruff as the winner early Wednesday morning. Ruff beat Attar on a margin of about 61% to 39% of votes with all Election Day precincts reported, according to the Maryland State Board of Elections‘ unofficial returns as of about 9:45 a.m.

This is Ruff’s first election cycle as a member of the Maryland legislature. He was appointed to serve in the House of Delegates for Maryland’s 41st District by Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat, in July 2023.

Attar, the incumbent, has faced a difficult public image campaign after she was criminally indicted last October on eight counts, including extortion and conspiracy charges for spying on a former campaign consultant and setting up recording devices in her home to obtain evidence of her having an affair. 

Attar pleaded not guilty in November and, in December, moved to dismiss three of the eight counts against her.

Attar, an attorney, was first elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 2018, during which time she served on the Environment and Transportation and Ways and Means committees. 

In 2025, she was appointed to the state Senate as a replacement for former Sen. Jill P. Carter, a Democrat who was tapped by Moore to serve as a member of the State Board of Contract Appeals.

Carter supported Ruff in the race to represent the 41st district in Baltimore. He was also endorsed in the race by Moore, a Democrat.

Ruff’s election campaign has reported raising $569,910.21 for his campaign as of Tuesday, according to the Maryland State Board of Elections campaign finance database. The same database shows that Attar raised $255,921.67 for her reelection.

Ruff will run unopposed in the November general election.

This story has been updated