U.S. House, Maryland 3rd Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in Maryland's 3rd Congressional District?
Sarah Elfreth has the strongest record in Maryland's 3rd Congressional District. Sarah Elfreth scores 68 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Berney Flowers at 53, as of October 6, 2026. Sarah Elfreth's highest marks are relevant experience and showing up. Berney Flowers's highest marks are communication. Robert L. Coffman (0 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Write-in
Robert L. Coffman
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 0 of 15 criteria
- Character
- NR
- Qualifications
- NR
- Performance
- NR
Democratic · incumbent
Strongest record
Sarah Elfreth
68 / 100
Public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 60
- Qualifications
- 75
- Performance
- 69
Republican
Berney Flowers
53 / 100
Public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 55
- Performance
- NR
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Robert L. Coffman
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Sarah Elfreth
- On the record2025-03-27
Voted for the DETERRENT Act, which 31 House Democrats supported and 168 opposed, including Leader Jeffries.
- On the record2025-04-15
Held an in-person Annapolis town hall in April 2025 at which attendees criticized her, part of a series of town halls she hosted that spring.
Source: Capital Gazette, Apr. 16, 2025
- Credit2026-03-17
Her MAWS Act (H.R. 4294), a Chesapeake Bay blue catfish pilot program with 4 Republican and 6 Democratic cosponsors, passed the House on March 17, 2026.
Sources: GovTrack, H.R. 4294 (119th Congress), GovTrack, H.R. 4294 cosponsors
- Credit2025-12
GovTrack lists four of her defense bills, including a Cyber Command mental health access bill, as enacted through provisions incorporated into the FY2026 defense authorization.
Sources: GovTrack, enacted legislation, GovTrack, H.R. 6630 (119th Congress)
- Credit2025 to 2026
Missed none of 676 House roll call votes from January 2025 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
- Credit2019 to 2022
The Center for Effective Lawmaking rated her above expectations as a Maryland state senator for 2019 to 2022, second among 36 Senate Democrats, with 64 bills becoming law.
Source: Center for Effective Lawmaking, state legislative effectiveness data
Berney Flowers
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Robert L. Coffman. No public record found.
Sarah Elfreth. Annual financial disclosure for 2025 is on file with the House Clerk, filed Aug. 12, 2026. No House Ethics Committee matter or FEC administrative fine found; no periodic transaction reports on file.
Sources: House Clerk financial disclosure, Filing ID 10075345, House Committee on Ethics site search for Elfreth, FEC administrative fines search
Berney Flowers. A House candidate financial disclosure covering 2025 to May 2026 is on file, and FEC reports are on file through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: House Clerk candidate financial disclosure, Filing ID 10082989, FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Robert L. Coffman. No public record found.
Sarah Elfreth. Voted Yea on the HALT Fentanyl Act (Feb. 2025) and the DETERRENT Act (March 2025) when Democratic Leader Jeffries voted Nay and most House Democrats opposed both.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 33, Feb. 6, 2025, HALT Fentanyl Act, House Clerk Roll Call 83, Mar. 27, 2025, DETERRENT Act
Berney Flowers. No public record found.
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Robert L. Coffman. No public record found.
Sarah Elfreth. Held a series of in-person town halls in spring 2025, including an Annapolis event reported by the Capital Gazette, and answered the Baltimore Sun and Capital Gazette 2026 voter guide questionnaire.
Sources: Capital Gazette, Apr. 16, 2025, Baltimore Sun voter guide, May 20, 2026
Berney Flowers. Answered the Baltimore Sun and Capital Gazette 2026 voter guide questionnaire and appears regularly on radio and television programs. No 2026 general election debate record found.
Sources: Baltimore Sun voter guide, May 20, 2026, Campaign site, home page
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Robert L. Coffman. No public record found.
Sarah Elfreth. Served six years in the Maryland Senate and is in her first U.S. House term. No censure, reprimand or House Ethics Committee matter found.
Sources: Office site, About, House Committee on Ethics site search for Elfreth
Berney Flowers. No public record found.
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Robert L. Coffman. No public record found.
Sarah Elfreth. Has held sworn state and federal legislative office since 2019. Took her House seat in January 2025, after the January 2021 electoral count; no misuse-of-office finding found.
Sources: Office site, About, GovTrack, Sarah Elfreth
Berney Flowers. Reports nearly 21 years of Air Force service and later Defense Department civilian service. No misuse-of-office finding found.
Source: Campaign site, About
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Robert L. Coffman. No public record found.
Sarah Elfreth. In her first U.S. House term after six years (elected 2018 and 2022) as state senator for Anne Arundel County District 30.
Sources: Baltimore Sun voter guide, May 20, 2026, Center for Effective Lawmaking, state legislative effectiveness data
Berney Flowers. Retired Air Force lieutenant colonel with nearly 21 years of service, then a Defense Department civilian who helped launch U.S. Cyber Command and advised NORAD and U.S. Northern Command. Has not held elected office.
Sources: Campaign site, About, Campaign site, home page
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Robert L. Coffman. No public record found.
Sarah Elfreth. Sits on the House Armed Services and Natural Resources committees and is vice ranking member of Natural Resources. Her MAWS Act passed the House in March 2026.
Sources: GovTrack, committee membership, Office site, About, GovTrack, H.R. 4294 (119th Congress)
Berney Flowers. Publishes positions on term limits, fiscal policy, education, immigration, defense and taxes, mostly in general terms, and gave short answers to a newspaper questionnaire.
Sources: Campaign site, home page, Baltimore Sun voter guide, May 20, 2026
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Robert L. Coffman. No public record found.
Sarah Elfreth. Answered the Baltimore Sun and Capital Gazette 2026 questionnaire, publishes issue pages and an e-newsletter, and holds town halls.
Sources: Baltimore Sun voter guide, May 20, 2026, Office site, home page, Capital Gazette, Apr. 16, 2025
Berney Flowers. Answered the Baltimore Sun and Capital Gazette questionnaire, publishes issue positions, keeps a mailing list and hosts a podcast, The Loyal Opposition.
Sources: Baltimore Sun voter guide, May 20, 2026, Campaign site, home page, Campaign site, About
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Robert L. Coffman. No public record found.
Sarah Elfreth. Lives in Annapolis and represented Annapolis-based Senate District 30 from 2019 to 2025. FEC by-state totals for 2025 to 2026 show about 76 percent of itemized individual contributions from Maryland.
Sources: Office site, About, Baltimore Sun voter guide, May 20, 2026, FEC contribution totals by state
Berney Flowers. Lists Elkridge in Howard County as his hometown. All $4,536 in itemized individual contributions reported for 2025 to 2026 came from Maryland, per FEC by-state totals.
Sources: Baltimore Sun voter guide, May 20, 2026, Maryland State Board of Elections candidate list, FEC contribution totals by state
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Robert L. Coffman. No public record found.
Sarah Elfreth. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026, with no debts owed. No FEC administrative fine record found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Berney Flowers. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine record found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Robert L. Coffman. No public record found.
Sarah Elfreth. No Center for Effective Lawmaking House score yet (first term). GovTrack counts four of her bills enacted through the FY2026 defense law, and her MAWS Act passed the House. Rated above expectations as a state senator, 2019 to 2022.
Sources: GovTrack, enacted legislation, GovTrack, H.R. 6631 (119th Congress), GovTrack, H.R. 4294 (119th Congress), Center for Effective Lawmaking, state legislative effectiveness data
Berney Flowers. No public record found.
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Robert L. Coffman. No public record found.
Sarah Elfreth. Missed 0 of 676 roll call votes, 0.0 percent, from January 2025 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Berney Flowers. No public record found.
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Robert L. Coffman. No public record found.
Sarah Elfreth. Lists a district office in Columbia and offers casework help with federal agencies. Her own questionnaire answer cites 1,775 resolved cases; no independent casework total found.
Sources: Office site, Office Locations, Office site, home page, Baltimore Sun voter guide, May 20, 2026
Berney Flowers. No public record found.
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Robert L. Coffman. No public record found.
Sarah Elfreth. Not scored by the Lugar Center Bipartisan Index, whose latest posted House scores cover 2023. Her MAWS Act, which passed the House, has 4 Republican and 6 Democratic cosponsors.
Source: GovTrack, H.R. 4294 cosponsors
Berney Flowers. No public record found.
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Robert L. Coffman. No public record found.
Sarah Elfreth. No public record found.
Berney Flowers. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 6, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in Maryland's 3rd Congressional District?
Sarah Elfreth has the strongest record in Maryland's 3rd Congressional District. Sarah Elfreth scores 68 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Berney Flowers at 53, as of October 6, 2026. Sarah Elfreth's highest marks are relevant experience and showing up. Berney Flowers's highest marks are communication. Robert L. Coffman (0 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in Maryland's 3rd Congressional District in 2026?
Robert L. Coffman (Write-in), Sarah Elfreth (Democratic, incumbent), Berney Flowers (Republican). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Robert L. Coffman a good candidate for Congress?
Robert L. Coffman has public evidence on 0 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
Is Sarah Elfreth a good candidate for Congress?
Sarah Elfreth scores 68 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria: character 60 of 100, qualifications 75 of 100, performance 69 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Berney Flowers a good candidate for Congress?
Berney Flowers scores 53 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 55 of 100, performance no record. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every Maryland race scored, the trailing candidate's path to victory, and the Maryland 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.