Former Prince George’s County, Md., State’s Attorney Glenn Ivey is gearing up to challenge Rep. Donna Edwards in next year’s Democratic primary. 

Ivey, currently a lawyer in a private practice, will file papers to run in Maryland’s 4th district in the coming days. He has an extensive government background, having previously served as an assistant U.S. attorney, as legislative assistant to Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), as counsel to former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) and as counsel to the Senate Whitewater Committee under then-Sen. Paul Sarbanes (D-Md.).
 
“Glenn Ivey is laying the foundation for a Congressional bid,” Ivey spokesman Ramon Korionoff told Roll Call. “He will likely seek the seat in the Maryland 4th Congressional district, and he looks forward to serving the public in that capacity.”
 
Ivey is perceived as a serious threat to Edwards’ re-election chances. According to a Democratic source, the redrawn 4th district was a factor in his decision to run. Edwards vehemently criticized Maryland’s Congressional redistricting plan, which was just signed into law last week. She said her primary concern was a lack of minority representation for Montgomery County, territory she lost under the new map.
 
Edwards is no stranger to primary challenges. She came to Congress in 2008 after defeating then-Rep. Al Wynn in the Democratic primary.

Edwards may also have an opponent from the new portion of her district. Anne Arundel County Councilman Jamie Benoit is also considering running for the Democratic nomination. “I am not ruling out a run for Congress in District 4,” Benoit told the blog Anne Arundel Politics.

“I want to make sure Anne Arundel County has the representation we deserve in Congress,” he added. “I don’t want us as some afterthought.”

An Edwards spokesman declined to comment on a possible primary challenge. The redrawn 4th district, just like the current district, is heavily Democratic and majority African-American. Edwards and Ivey are black, while Benoit is white.