Doctor latest Democrat to enter 6th District race
Milad Pooran, a 34-year-old doctor and Air National Guard reservist, on Wednesday became the latest candidate to enter the burgeoning race for Maryland’s 6th Congressional District.
Pooran, a Democrat, is a critical care physician and served as a combat medic in Iraq, according to an announcement from his campaign. He previously ran for school board in Beltsville, Md., but was deployed during the campaign, an aide said. He is a lieutenant colonel.
“The 6th District has been under-represented for two decades,” Pooran said, referencing the incumbent, Republican Rep. Roscoe G. Bartlett.
The other Democratic candidates in the race so far include state Sen. Robert Garagiola and former Montgomery County Council member Duchy Trachtenberg. The primary takes place April 3.
Pooran immigrated to the U.S. with his parents at the age of six from Iran. He grew up in Beltsville, attended the University of Maryland, College Park, and the UM School of Medicine in Baltimore. As an undergraduate, he was a sports broadcaster for a student radio station and provided color commentary for Terrapin home games.
According to his campaign website, Pooran completed a clinical fellowship at the National Institutes of Health and later worked for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
State property records show that Pooran does not list his Jefferson, Md., condo as his principal residence; however, a campaign aide said that is a technical error and said Pooran and his wife do indeed live in Frederick County.
Pooran expects to file paperwork with the state Board of Elections on Thursday to put his name on the ballot.
