Luigi Mangione’s Tough-on-Crime Cousin Is Winning an Election While He Still Fights Murder Charges

One Mangione is campaigning to crack down on violent criminals… the other is fighting to keep his murder case from ever reaching a jury.

Credit: Maryland State Board of Elections

Republican Nino Mangione, the cousin of Luigi Mangione, is close to victory in a Baltimore County Council race following Tuesday’s midterm elections. Nino, a former Maryland state delegate who campaigned on public safety and tougher punishment for violent offenders, received 48.72% of the vote in Baltimore County’s 5th District, compared with 45.16% for Democrat Shawn McIntosh. These stats are from unofficial results from the Maryland State Board of Elections.

The Republican received 16,835 votes to McIntosh’s 15,607, a lead of 1,228 votes. Although several news outlets have reported Nino’s victory, McIntosh has not conceded, and additional mail-in ballots remain to be counted. The results are not official.

Nino’s campaign focused heavily on violence, including shootings, carjackings, robberies and murders in Baltimore County. His platform called for stronger support for law enforcement and tougher punishment for repeat offenders. Some would call his campaign platform interesting, given what his cousin is accused of.

Mangione previously served in Maryland’s House of Delegates from 2019 until June 2026, when he joined the Baltimore County Council after being selected to fill a vacancy. Tuesday’s election was his opportunity to secure a council seat through a public vote. He also hosts a conservative radio program, “The Right Side,” on Baltimore station WCBM.

Nino’s political career has been slightly overshadowed by his family connection to Luigi, who pleaded guilty in federal court in August that he fatally shot UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on Dec. 4, 2024. Following Luigi’s arrest in Pennsylvania in December 2024, Nino released a statement on behalf of the Mangione family expressing shock and sympathy for Thompson’s relatives. “Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest,” the statement read.

Luigi’s is still in the throes of his state criminal case, with federal sentencing set for December.

In a nine-page filing dated Oct. 30, defense attorneys pushed again to dismiss the remaining New York state murder and weapons charges. They argue that his federal guilty plea should prevent Manhattan prosecutors from pursuing a second prosecution involving the same killing: double jeopardy.

The filing, submitted by attorneys Karen Friedman Agnifilo, Marc Agnifilo and Jacob Kaplan, says the crimes in both cases are the same. “The core misconduct of the federal and state prosecutions is the same: the intent to kill and the killing of Brian Thompson,” they wrote.

The attorneys argue that New York’s double jeopardy protections prohibit prosecutors from bringing a second case based on the same criminal conduct after a prior prosecution has ended in a conviction.

As previously reported by Los Angeles, Luigi pleaded guilty Aug. 14 to two federal stalking charges resulting in Thompson’s death, admitting in open court that he traveled to New York intending to shoot the health insurance executive.

During his plea, Mangione acknowledged using a 3-D printer to manufacture part of a firearm and equipping the gun with a silencer and magazine.

His attorneys argue that admitting his guilt, combined with the federal prosecution, should prevent the state from pursuing charges involving the same firearm. The Manhattan DA’s Office disagrees, reiterating that the federal stalking charges and New York’s murder and weapons offenses address different criminal conduct and legal interests.

The defense filing also says the potential federal sentence is evidence that the stalking charges carry the same punishment as murder. They expect federal sentencing guidelines to recommend 25 to 30 years in prison, a range the attorneys argue closely resembles a murder sentence. That’s only the defense’s estimate. U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett will determine the actual sentence, and Mangione faces a maximum of life imprisonment.

The latest arguments spark questions around another case that Los Angeles Magazine previously examined in connection with former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort. His New York state prosecution was dismissed after his federal conviction. Mangione’s defense has cited that case law in arguing that New York law provides bigger protections than other states.

During a February hearing, Mangione abruptly spoke out when ushered out of a Manhattan courtroom, regarding facing separate federal and state proceedings, declaring that he was being subjected to the “same prosecution twice,” as Los Angeles reported in February.

Judge Gregory Carro is scheduled to hear arguments Dec. 10. Luigi’s federal sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 18. No ruling has been issued on the latest defense motion, and the state charges remain pending.

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