For the first time since 1971, Maryland might have an all-male congressional delegation after the 2016 elections — and it will be the fault of Democrats.
This is the party that constantly accuses Republicans of being “anti-woman” and brags that they have more women in Congress. Now here they are, not even nominating any women in Maryland.
It’s made all the more alarming by the fact that Sen. Barabara Mikulski, D-Md., the longest-serving woman in Congress, who has spent her time advocating for more women in politics, is retiring. Two well-known Democrats were vying for Mikulski’s open seat — Reps. Chris Van Hollen and Donna Edwards. Van Hollen won the primary by 14 points. His campaign also outraised Edwards by a 2-to-1 margin.
Outside groups boosted Edwards more, however, including the well-known EMILY’s List. But the group’s influence has waned significantly in recent years. It put $2.4 million into Edwards’ primary, and she lost big time. In 2014, it endorsed 24 female candidates. Just seven won in November, but six of them were incumbents. Just one woman endorsed to take on an incumbent won — Gwen Graham in Florida. EMILY’s List endorsed two female incumbents who lost — Kay Hagan in North Carolina and Carol Shea-Porter in New Hampshire. Even the group’s pick for governor of Deep Blue Massachusetts lost to a Republican.
Perhaps EMILY’s List was the kiss of death for Edwards. Edwards, predictably, was not happy about her loss or the fact that Mikulski might be replaced by a man.
“To my Democratic Party, let me say today: Maryland is on the verge of having an all-male delegation in a so-called progressive state,” Edwards said in her concession speech. “When will the voices of people of color; when will the voices of women; when will the voice of labor; when will the voices of black women; when will our voices be effective, legitimate, equal leaders in a big-tent party?”
She told reporters: “I thought the Republican Party was full of dog whistles but the Democratic Party has a foghorn.”
Naturally, some in the Democratic Party didn’t take too kindly to Edwards’ charges of sexism and racism. Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., who endorsed Van Hollen, criticized Edwards’ tactics the week before.
“The choice in this election is very clear,” Connolly told the Associated Press. “It is whether the people of Maryland want somebody who can be effective, or somebody who’s going to bask in her own feelings of moral superiority because of various and sundry factors, and effectiveness has nothing to do with it.”
But fear not! If Democrats are so concerned that a woman replace Mikulski, then they have the option to vote for Republican Kathy Szeliga, who won a crowded GOP primary by a landslide.
“Women make up 60 percent of voters in Maryland and the glaring lack of women on the Democrats’ congressional ticket sends a message — and not a very good one,” Szeliga said in a statement to the Washington Examiner. “Unlike some on the other side of the aisle, I would never play the gender card. Being a woman should never be the only reason you vote for someone. I am also a wife, a mom, a small business owner, and a proven conservative leader. But women can bring unique perspective to the table and their voices should be heard.”
Of course, Democrats don’t really want more women in Congress, they want more Democratic women in Congress, but they will use the “more women” argument when they want to defeat a Republican man. Now that the tables have turned against them, however, they will have to prove, yet again, that most voters want someone who represents them based on policies, not whatever identity group they belong to.
Maryland voters will have the chance to vote to send one other woman to the House of Representatives — Republican Amie Hoeber. Hoeber, too, pointed out the lack of female candidates on the Democratic ticket in Maryland (but we can’t discount that Maryland Democrats selected Hillary Clinton to be the presidential nominee).
“I am particularly proud that today the Republican Party here in Maryland has two intelligent and capable women as candidates for Congress. It shows that this year Republicans in Maryland are far more supportive of women candidates than are the Democrats,” Hoeber told the Examiner in a statement. “And with 60 percent of Maryland voters being women, it makes both of our races much more competitive that some people think. When Kathy and I are elected to Congress, we will continue the long tradition of diversity and inclusiveness in Maryland’s congressional delegation.”
Having Clinton at the top of the ticket won’t distract from the fact that Democrats failed to nominate any woman for Congress. Szeliga and Hoeber face an uphill battle in a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans 2-to-1, but if the Left were truly concerned about the number of women in Congress, they should look to the Right for advice in Maryland.
Ashe Schow is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
