Ali to launch primary challenge for Md. Senate seat in Montgomery

Del. Saqib Ali confirmed Friday that he will try to unseat Sen. Nancy J. King in a Democratic primary for a Maryland Senate seat representing part of Montgomery County.

"I'm here to tell you that I'm going to be running for the state Senate," Ali said during an appearance on The Politics Hour with Kojo Nnamdi on WAMU 88.5 FM.

The match-up between Ali, 35, and King, 60, is one of an unusual number of generational primary challenges that are continuing to shape up for Maryland legislative seats. The Post detailed several others in a story that ran in February. Last week, Del. James J. King (R-Anne Arundel), 35, launched a primary challenge to Sen. Edward R. Reilly (R-Anne Arundel), 60.

King has been dismissive of Ali's ambitions, telling us earlier this year: "I think it would be best for him to accomplish something in the House and have a record to run on."

Ali told Nnamdi that he had a very successful legislative session this year, citing a bill that sought to require the General Assembly to post committee votes online. The bill did not pass, but the legislature's presiding officers adopted the practice administratively.

"I did a lot of great things, and I'm very proud," said Ali, who is finishing his first term as a delegate.

King, a former delegate, was appointed to the Senate in September 2007 to fill a seat left open by former Sen. Patrick J. Hogan (D-Montgomery), who resigned to become the lead lobbyist for the University System of Maryland.