Activist Chelsea Manning was defeated in a bid to deny Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., renomination on Tuesday.

Manning always faced an uphill battle against the incumbent Cardin. She lagged badly in fundraising and faced questions about how active she really was on the campaign trail. But the Manning campaign did attract national attention and some enthusiasm from liberal activists both in and outside of Maryland.

Then known as Bradley Manning, the Army intelligence analyst was convicted of leaking classified documents. Manning was hailed as a whistleblower by supporters and condemned as a threat to national security by critics.

President Barack Obama commuted Manning’s sentence. Manning transitioned into a woman, took the name Chelsea, and became an advocate for LGBT rights as well as enhanced privacy protections.

Manning was initially viewed as a prospective progressive challenger to the Democratic establishment. But she has recently been tweeting about the primary process being “rigged,” suggesting a lack of optimism about her chances.

In May, Manning’s tweets raised concerns about her health and safety. "I'm sorry — I tried — I'm sorry I let you all down," Manning wrote in a series of since deleted tweets. "I’m not really cut out for this world — I tried adapting to this world out here but I failed you.”

Local media outlets have complained that Manning stopped responding to requests for comment about her Senate campaign.

Cardin, first elected in a Democratic wave election in 2006, is heavily favored for re-election in November.