Republican Senate candidate Daniel Bongino began airing his first television ad Wednesday, a largely introductory spot that argues that Washington has "left behind significant portions of our inner city."

Bongino, who is seeking the GOP nomination in Tuesday's primary, is running the advertisement statewide on cable, according to his campaign. He speaks directly to the camera in the 30-second ad, arguing that "failed social policies" have destroyed "generations of families."

"We're headed in the wrong direction but that doesn't mean we have to keep walking," says Bongino, a former Secret Service agent who lives in Severna Park. "We will turn around. We will make this country great yet again."

Bongino faces nine other candidates in the GOP primary, including Richard J. Douglas, a former Pentagon official who began running his own television ad Tuesday. The seat is currently held by Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin, who is running for a second term.