Representative David Trone, a Democrat, received a standing ovation and cheers when he cast his vote for Representative Hakeem Jeffries during the 13th ballot vote on Friday. He returned to the Capitol in the afternoon after undergoing hand surgery in the morning. He reached with his arm in a sling and still in his hospital socks, wearing slippers.

Trone’s presence was bad news for Kevin McCarthy because it increased the total number of votes being cast for Speaker, along with it, the total number MacCarthy requires to win a majority and the speaker’s gavel.

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Who is David Trone?

David Trone is a politician and businessman. He is a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from Maryland’s 6th congressional district.

Trone was born on September 21, 1955, in Maryland and raised in East Berlin, Pennsylvania. His father Thomas ran a chicken and hot dog operation. He also owned a soda and beer store.

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Trone graduated from Furman University in 1977. He earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

He started his career by founding the beer-only retailer Beer World in Pennsylvania in 1984. He is a co-owner of Total Wine & More, the largest privately owned beer, wine, and spirits retailer in the United States with $3.1 billion in annual revenue. He worked as president of the company until December 2016.

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In 2016, Trone ran unsuccessfully in the Democratic primary to represent Maryland’s 8th Congressional District, placing second out of nine candidates. In 2018, he was the Democratic nominee for the 6th district and won the general election to succeed John Delaney starting in 2019. In the 2022 general election, he won against Republican Neil Parrott.

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Trone lives in Montgomery County with his wife June. They have four children Michelle, Julie, Natalie, and Rob, and two dogs Lyndon and Hubert.