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“I am proud of all I have done for Maryland. I have given my heart and soul to our great state, and I thank Marylanders for trusting me as your representative for all these years," Cardin said in a statement.

Cardin, 79, is the third Democratic senator to decide not to run for reelection next year, following Sen. of California and Sen. of Michigan. On the Republican side, Sen. of Indiana is eschewing a second term and will run for governor instead.

Potential candidates for Cardin's seat include Democratic Reps. David Trone and Jamie Raskin. Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks is also considered a possible Democratic contender.

Democrats outnumber Republicans 2-1 in Maryland, which has not elected a Republican to the U.S. Senate since 1980. The state's eight-member House delegation has only one Republican.

Last year, then-Gov. Larry Hogan to run against Sen. Chris Van Hollen, but Hogan, who recently wrapped up his second and final term as governor, said in March that for president.

During Cardin's tenure in the Senate, he has been a leader in health care, retirement security, the environment and fiscal issues. The senator has also been a leading advocate for clean water and the Chesapeake Bay, the nation’s largest estuary, which flows through his home state.

He helped write the Paycheck Protection Program that helped small businesses in Maryland and nationwide endure the economic impact of . He also created the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Advance Grant program to quickly get cash to small businesses in need.

His legislation to expand Medicare to include preventive benefits such as colorectal, prostate, mammogram, and osteoporosis screening was also enacted.

“I salute my friend and our state’s senior Senator Ben Cardin on his extraordinary public service to Maryland and our country,� Van Hollen said in a statement Monday. “It is a privilege to serve alongside him and in partnership every day for the people of our great state.�

Cardin also has worked in foreign affairs, supporting the integration of anti-corruption, transparency and respect for human rights into foreign policy. He chaired the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the U.S. Helsinki Commission.

Cardin counts among his achievements the passage of his legislation to increase the amount Americans can put into their 401(k) plans and IRAs, which was enacted in 2001.

Cardin also had a long career in state government before he became a congressman. He won a seat in the Maryland House of Delegates in 1966. He served as the Maryland House speaker from 1979 to 1986.

As a state legislator and a member of Congress, Cardin has generally supported liberal views, emphasizing increased aid for education, tax relief for low-income people and protection of the environment.