A rematch between U.S. Rep. David Trone and Republican Neil Parrott for the congressional district in western Maryland was too early to call in the state’s most competitive congressional battle early Wednesday.
Trone, a Democrat, is seeking a third term with a big fundraising advantage: the owner of the Total Wine & More liquor chain has put more than $12 million of his own money into his campaign.
Trone beat Parrott by about 20 percentage points in 2020. However, Parrott, who is a conservative state legislator from Washington County, benefited from a redrawn 6th Congressional District that has made the district much more competitive.
MIDTERM ELECTIONS 2022: LIVE UPDATES
That’s after the General Assembly, which is controlled by Democrats, had to redraw the state’s congressional map after a judge struck down the one that was initially drawn due to partisan gerrymandering.
The lines of the district have long been criticized by the GOP after Democrat John Delaney ousted 20-year incumbent Republican Roscoe Bartlett in 2012 after redistricting a year earlier brought the district into Montgomery County, where there are more Democrats.
This time, though, the district is far more favorable to Republicans than it used to be, making the race competitive.
In a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans 2-1, Democrats hold a 7-1 advantage in Maryland’s U.S. House delegation.
The state’s lone House Republican, Rep. Andy Harris, defeated former state legislator Heather Mizeur in the 1st Congressional District, which includes the Eastern Shore, to win a seventh term.
Democrat Glenn Ivey won his first term in Maryland’s 4th Congressional District, a seat opening with the departure of Rep. Anthony Brown, who won the race for attorney general in the state. Rep. Steny Hoyer was reelected to his 21st full term in Maryland’s 5th Congressional District.
Rep. Jamie Raskin won a fourth term in Maryland’s 8th Congressional District. Rep. Kweisi Mfume was reelected to the state’s 7th Congressional District. Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger won reelection to the 2nd Congressional District. Rep. John Sarbanes was reelected to the state’s 3rd Congressional District.