The race for Maryland’s 6th Congressional District was expected to be a fiercely contested scramble to win over voters in an area dramatically redefined by redistricting — in the general election, not the Democratic primary.
Yet, state Senate Majority Leader Robert Garagiola, seen as the main political beneficiary in a district that now includes his home turf of Germantown, is engaged in an increasingly negative and close scuffle with businessman John Delaney just weeks before the April 3 primary election.
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The development comes as a surprise to most political observers, as Garagiola swiftly secured the backing of much of the state’s political establishment and nearly all the major public employees unions. But Delaney, whose financing haul has exceeded expectations, has dominated the airwaves in recent days, touting his endorsement from Democratic former President Clinton.
“I don’t think the average voter approves of gerrymandering districts or hand-drawn districts,” said Justin Schall, Delaney’s campaign manager. “We are seeing evidence that voters were very unhappy that the senator thought this was a foregone conclusion.”
A major public poll hasn’t been conducted in recent weeks — and the Delaney campaign declined to provide The Washington Examiner with internal surveys — but Schall said he was “very confident in our chances.”
Calls to multiple officials with the Garagiola campaign were not returned by The Examiner’s deadline.
But even some of Garagiola’s top advocates were concerned with the state of the race.
“Should he be a bit worried?” mused one state Democratic lawmaker who supports Garagiola’s candidacy. “Absolutely. I’d say he’s still the favorite, but what quite frankly I expected to be a cakewalk is anything but.”
Garagiola has sought to portray Delaney as an out-of-touch, wealthy businessman and inauthentic progressive, blasting him for not releasing personal tax returns and for donating to the campaign of U.S. Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md. At the same time, Delaney has dismissed Garagiola as little more than a lobbyist, pointing out the state senator’s previous work for Republican-leaning firm Berman and Co.
The winner of the Democratic primary is expected in the fall to face longtime Republican Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, whose hold on the traditionally conservative Western Maryland district is significantly at risk because of the less favorable demographics.
