Mr. Kefalas is just 36, but he has a tremendous resume of experience that prepares him to succeed in the Senate. He served as deputy legal counsel under Republican Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., handling hundreds of executive clemency requests (as well as helping to defend the administration from a Democratic investigation of hiring and firing practices). He worked for the U.S. Department of Justice under Attorney General Eric Holder to foster the growing bi-partisan consensus around criminal justice reform. He is on leave now from the National Association of Manufacturers, a job that has provided him key insights into what needs to be done to retain and create good paying jobs for American workers. And his roots in his family business — Costa's Inn, arguably the best crab joint in Baltimore — give him the retail politicking and customer service skills that Ms. Mikulski has trained Maryland voters to expect.