A Wealthy Democratic Representative Is Among Top Self-Funders in Senate Primary History

Representative David Trone, a Democrat who apologized for using a racial slur during a recent House committee meeting, has poured nearly $42 million from his personal fortune into his Senate bid in Maryland, according to the latest federal quarter filings, putting him among the top self-funders in Senate primary history.

Mr. Trone, who founded and owns a lucrative wine and liquor retailer alongside his brother, invested $18.5 million of his own money from January to March alone, ending last month with $1 million on hand. He drew only about $216,100 from other donors in that time, according to the filings.

Mr. Trone is seeking to make up ground in his hotly contested Democratic primary against Angela Alsobrooks, the prominent executive of Prince George’s County, and a slate of lesser known candidates. Now in his third term in the House of Representatives, Mr. Trone has picked up endorsements from top House Democrats. But his use of the slur has drawn criticism.

Last month, while praising President Biden’s tax proposals at a congressional budget hearing, Mr. Trone dropped a derogatory term used to caricature Black people. He later apologized, adding that he misspoke and meant to say “bugaboo.” “Regardless of what I meant to say, I shouldn’t have used that language, and I apologize,” he said at the time.

Five Black Democrats in the House then endorsed Ms. Alsobrooks, who is Black, though they made no mention of the slur. She ended the latest quarter with nearly $3.2 million cash on hand, according to federal filings. The primary is on May 14.

The winner is likely to face Larry Hogan, a popular former governor of the state who is seeking the Republican nomination, in what is expected to be a competitive general election. While