I wrote this in a comment elsewhere but I think it needs to be it’s own statement today. In Maryland, Democrats have a choice between Rep. Chris Van Hollen and Rep. Donna Edwards to replace the wonderful Sen. Barbara Mikulski. Due to to sitting Representatives running for Senate, the loser of today’s primary will not be in political office in 2017.
On one edge of the sword, Marylanders get a wonderful choice to replace Sen. Mikulski. Donna Edwards has been a progressive fighter in the House and would almost instantly be the most progressive Senator on day one. Chris Van Hollen has risen up through the House in the traditional leadership role and while he is to the right of Donna Edwards, he is to the right of her by about 2 centimeters. The ideological gap between the two is so small I’m not sure anything could fit between them. So whoever we get Maryland will replace a treasured voice in the Senate with a true progressive Democrat who would vote 100% with a President Clinton or a President Sanders.
On the other edge of the sword, Maryland is losing either a known progressive voice or a Democratic leader in the House of Representatives. While I’m sure Anthony Brown and Jamie Raskin (last I saw they were the poll leaders in their respective races) will be fine replacements for our two Senate candidates, it might take some time for both to get their own voices in the House and make waves the way Donna Edwards has and to make leadership strides the way Chris Van Hollen has.
So I want to thank my favorite deity that I live in a state where my primary choice for Senate really was the most difficult for me to make. I wavered almost daily on who I was going to vote for. I hope whoever loses today, will stay a voice in the Maryland Democratic Party (and hopefully the Democratic National Committee) and will contemplate a run against our Republican governor, Larry Hogan in 2018. I also know it is an embarrassment of riches in Maryland that is unlike most states. (Oregon is the only other state I can think of off the top of my head that is usually in a similar position)
