Voters in Maryland?s Third Congressional district will finally narrow the crowded field of candidates for the open U.S. House of Representatives seat.
During the last issues forum, sponsored by the League of Women Voters and held at Goucher College, the collegial group of 14 Democrats and Republicans joked about suffering withdrawal from each other?s company.
The eight Democratic candidates made one last attempt at the Sept. 6 forum to distinguish themselves in the pack of party loyalists.
Former Baltimore City health commissioner Peter Beilenson, state Sen. Paula Hollinger, and health care attorney John Sarbanes sparred over their respective records in public service.
“When I first got into this race, I had someone tell me, you?re a great senator and you should stay there,” Hollinger said. “But I?m tired of those comments. That?s how women have hit the glass ceiling. I?m proud to be the one candidate here who?s had the experience working with both Democrats and Republicans.”
Beilenson?s campaign has stressed his homeland security expertise by pointing to his work as health commissioner in orchestrating large-scale disaster drills for first responders.
Sarbanes has stressed his experience working with nonprofit hospitals as proof of his ability to tackle health care issues in Congress.
The two men, both sons of former Congressmen ? Beilenson?s father was a representative from California, and Sarbanes is the son of retiring Maryland Sen. Paul Sarbanes ? have been criticized during the primary campaign for their political pedigrees.
Beilenson had raised $844,691 for the race by the end of the last reporting period with $60,482 on hand, compared to Sarbanes who had raised $960,109 and had $475,298 still in the bank.
But aside from their varying backgrounds, the Democrats remained united in their opposition to the war in Iraq and their desire for a phased withdrawal of U.S. troops from that country.
“We have got to get the Democrats back in control of Congress,” Sarbanes said during the forum. “I don?t want (Defense Secretary) Donald Rumsfeld to resign yet because I want to be part of the Democratic Congress that skewers him when he comes in the room.”
With the exception of Baltimore doctor Gary Applebaum, the six Republican candidates have had little success raising money in a district where registered Democrats outnumbered registered Republicans 2 to 1 in the last election cycle.
Applebaum reported raising $268,314 by the end of the last reporting period in August, and had about $189,078 on hand.
