Pelosi played up her Maryland roots in announcing her endorsement of Edwards. Pelosi’s father represented Baltimore in Congress in the 1940s.

Pelosi served with Edwards while Edwards was in Congress from 2008 until her term expired in January 2017, after she unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination for the Senate against Chris Van Hollen.

“Donna Edwards has been a proven, effective leader throughout her career and has the reputation and experience to ensure that Prince George’s County gets its fair share of federal investment from Day One, fight to protect Social Security and Medicare, take action on climate change and work to ensure that every Marylander has access to the affordable health care and medications they need,” Pelosi said in a statement. “As a native Marylander, I welcome the addition of a woman — particularly a woman of color — to my home state’s delegation.”