Democrat John Sarbanes was sworn in Thursday as the representative from Maryland?s third congressional district.
The son of outgoing Maryland Democratic Sen. Paul Sarbanes took his oath in the chamber of the House of Representatives before joining family and supporters at a reception in the Rayburn House Office Building.
John Sarbanes fills the seat left by Democrat Ben Cardin, who was sworn in as Maryland?s junior senator Thursday.
The younger Sarbanes was introduced by his father, who relinquished the podium to his son by saying, “My job here is to get out of the way very quickly.”
The representative praised his father?s work in the Senate, telling supporters, “It has never been a burden to carry that name.” He said he would honor his father?s public servicerecord by serving with honesty and integrity.
Sarbanes said his top priorities were ethics reform, improving fiscal responsibility, raising the minimum wage, making college more affordable and protecting the environment.
He said his Iraq policy was simple: “Bring the troops back home.”
Sarbanes emerged from a crowded primary field, defeating eight candidates for the Democratic nomination. He won the general election in a landslide, beating Republican John White by more than 30 percent of the vote.
He attended Princeton University and Harvard Law School and is a practicing attorney. This is the first elected office he has held. He has spent his entire professional career at the law firm Venable LLP, where he worked in the firm?s health care practice.
Scott McPhereson, of Towson, a Sarbanes supporter who along with his 12-year-old son worked on the campaign, said he backed Sarbanes because he shared values with his father.
“By being around his father, he?s been through campaigns and learned to be professional,” he said.
