Chrys Kefalas’ first campaign ad

Maryland has an interesting candidate for the Senate seat that will be vacated by Democrat Barbara A. Mikulski when she retires in 2017. Chrys Kefalas served as a speechwriter for U.S. Attorney Eric Holder, is engaged to the “Ryan Seacrest of the District”, comes from a family of staunch Democrats, and said that he’s open to decriminalizing heroin. He’s also hoping to land the GOP nomination in a very blue state.

Kefalas made his official announcement on Greta Van Susteren last night:

She asked about him being openly gay, and he brushed aside his personal life as irrelevant: “No one talks about that on the campaign trail. They talk about jobs, how are you going to support the middle class, what are you going to improve national security in America. Those are the issues they care about and that’s what I’m running about.”

But Kefalas did worry about coming out when he testified in 2011 in favor of Maryland’s marriage-equality law. He told the Washingtonian, “I figured that was the end for me politically. There’s no way I could serve at the county or state level in the Republican Party.”

Kefalas, 36, grew up in a Greek-American family in Baltimore. His family owns a crabhouse called Costas Inn, and in his first campaign video he paints himself as someone who, like his family, will offer great “customer service” to his constituents. Though his family is solidly Democrat, he has one great aunt who convinced him that Republicans have the right idea on economic and personal-liberty issues, according to the Washingtonian.

Kefalas worked as an aide to Republican Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. He served as a speechwriter to then-U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr., and he currently works at the National Association of Manufacturers in Washington. He’s engaged to morning radio host Tommy McFly, who Obama called on to reach out to young uninsured listeners to sign up for Obamacare.

Kefalas has spoken out against the war on drugs—even saying he’s open to decriminalizing heroin as well as weed, according to the Baltimore Sun. He’s also spoken out against police violence:

And he’s not afraid to really go against the grain:

For the GOP nomination, Kefalas will be facing off against Del. Kathy Szeliga, the minority whip in the House of Delegates; Richard J. Douglas, a former Pentagon official and Senate candidate; and Navy veteran Anthony Seda, according to the Baltimore Sun. On the Democrat side, Democratic Reps. Donna Edwards of Prince George’s County and Chris Van Hollen of Montgomery County are vying for their party’s nomination.