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Gilchrest Loses; Donna Edwards Unseats Wynn
Share / Recommend - Comment - Print - Wednesday, Feb 13, 8:38AM
Two of the Maryland Congressional races I was watching last night produced a mixed result.
In MD-04, challenger Donna Edwards was trying to unseat Democratic incumbent Al Wynn -- and she won. Two of my close blogging and activist collaborators -- Matt Stoller and Dave Meyer -- were out canvassing the district last night in miserably cold and icy weather. Edwards' win is in part a sign of the growing strength of "netroots activism." Frankly, a lot of Obama's support -- though not nearly all -- comes from this same progressive insurgency.
But in the Republican primary, Wayne Gilchrest whom I admired for voting against the Iraq War and for maintaining moderate sensibilities in a pretty conservative district lost to Maryland State Senator Andy Harris -- who is far more conservative.
Hopefully, Harris will be challenged by a strong Dem in the November race.
-- Steve Clemons
Reader Comments (4) - post a comment
The Democrats should recruit Gilchrest to join their party and challenge Harris in 2010.
Steve,
Glad Edwards won though I surely don't know MD politics. I do not recall the context but was advocating for something and need to contact Wynn's office and was not impressed--nothing wrong with him or his positions but rather just seemed that he had a lock on that DC adjacent district--now in his 8th or 9th term and was coasting along. Since we need more women in both houses of Congress, I'm very pleased that Edwards unseated him. In that district, the Democrat always wins in the general election.
Of course, it fits with my hopes for Hillary, i.e., that she remains in the Senate and works very hard with Emily's list to have more women in Congress.
So sad, another DittoHead, Blue Dog Democrat bites the dust. Here is MoveOn's reaction:
"In what the Washington Post called a "stunning victory," progressive underdog Donna Edwards triumphed in her primary against right-wing
Democrat Al Wynn. That's one more vote for ending the war, for affordable health care, for ending global warming. And thousands of MoveOn members
pitched in time, money, and shoe leather to make it possible.
It's a big deal, because it's not just about this race--it's about reminding the rest of the Democrats in Congress that at the end of the
day, the voters call the shots."
Beltway, Inc.'s greatest fear: voters calling the shots!
Ms.Gilcrest merited this opportunity.
Being able to interview Rep.Gilcrest would be quite a privilege in the near future, Steve.
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