Voters in Washington’s Maryland suburban districts have three strong candidates for the U.S. Congress.
In the eighth congressional district, Democrat Jamie Raskin is competing against Republican Dan Cox for the seat being opened by Democratic Rep. Chris Van Hollen’s run for the Senate. As state senator for District 20, Raskin has built a solid, verifiable progressive record. He has been the floor leader on bills to establish the right to same-sex marriage and to repeal the death penalty. He supported expansion of Maryland’s ignition interlock device program. He has worked to protect women’s reproductive rights, and has a solid record on the environment, including backing legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
His work on immigration reform has been practical, and he’s kept his sights on a comprehensive solution to the problem. He is, in addition, a strong supporter of the American-Israel relationship and an articulate proponent for a safe secure and democratic State of Israel.
By contrast, Cox would scrap Obamacare, and eliminate payroll taxes in favor of a 10 percent flat tax. He supports abolishing the departments of energy, education, commerce, and housing and urban development. We need proven, experienced leaders in Washington, not rookies who shoot from the hip.
Raskin, therefore, has our enthusiastic support in this election.
In the sixth congressional district, Democrat John Delaney is running for his third term in a highly competitive race against Republican Amie Hoeber. Green Party candidate George Gluck is also running.
Delaney has compiled a liberal record in his four years in Congress. He voted for the Iran nuclear agreement and against the lifting of sanctions on Iran. He voted to override President Obama’s veto of a bill that would permit American victims of terrorism abroad to sue foreign countries in U.S. courts. And he has been a solid, reliable friend of the State of Israel.
Delaney has also received high ratings from conservation groups. He authored legislation to fight climate change and is co-sponsoring a bipartisan bill to create a commission for climate solutions. He has been a champion of rebuilding the nation’s crumbling roads and bridges, activity that if funded will result in thousands of jobs.
Hoeber was deputy undersecretary of the Army during the Reagan administration. Gov. Larry Hogan has been stumping for her. But unlike the popular governor, she supports Donald Trump for president. Her conservative positions include limiting the scope of the federal government, rebuilding the military and reducing taxes. Hoeber won an 85 percent rating from the National Rifle Association.
We question Hoeber’s judgment, and find her too conservative for our tastes; Delaney should be returned to Congress.
In the fourth congressional district, former lieutenant governor Anthony Brown, a Democrat, is running to fill the seat held by Democratic Rep. Donna Edwards, who is giving it up after losing to Van Hollen in the primary for the U.S. Senate. Brown lost the 2014 governor’s race, but his public service record is still impressive, including eight years as a state delegate and military service — he completed a 10-month Army Reserve stint in Iraq while serving in the statehouse.
Brown would raise the minimum wage, invest in infrastructure, support universal pre-K for every 4 year old, increase federal aid for education, and support continued funding of Israel’s Iron Dome missile shield.
Brown’s Republican opponent, George McDermott, however, believes “the system is rigged.” He supports repealing Obamacare, opposes same-sex marriage and says his top priority is to introduce legislation to address “the waste, fraud and abuse within America’s judicial system.”
McDermott’s candidacy appears to be a distraction. Brown’s experience and solid positions make him our choice for Congress. n
