Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Doug Duncan NOT Running for 6th Congressional District, Leaning Toward Delaney // GOP Senator Chris Shank Perks Up

Last month, Maryland Juice noted that former Montgomery County Executive Doug Duncan appeared to be floating trial balloons  for a potential Democratic Primary campaign in the State's 6th Congressional District. Numerous news outlets are now reporting that Duncan is NOT running. The Washington Post wrote today:
Former Montgomery County executive Douglas M. Duncan (D) said Tuesday that he had decided against making a run for the redrawn 6th District Congressional seat, and he is leaning toward backing financier John K. Delaney for the post instead....

“I looked at the race very closely and thought about it for some time,” Duncan said. “In the end I decided I’m an executive, not a legislator....”

“I think it’s going to be an interesting race,” Duncan said. “There is some resentment with how the district was set up, particularly in western Maryland, and I think Garagiola is going to have problems with that.”

So Duncan sounds likely to back Delaney, a wealthy political novice, instead.

“I’m talking with him,” Duncan said of Delaney. “There’s nothing formal but I’m looking to find a way to help him.”
There are several noteworthy items in the preceding article:
  1. The obvious big news is that Duncan has decided not to run for Congress, but....
  2. Duncan's seeming desire to endorse a relatively unknown challenger is unusual and must speak to some particular reason (ie: perhaps Duncan is building new alliances and/or trying to "stick it" to the State's political leadership), and....
  3. It makes me wonder whether Duncan is weighing a run for Governor again.

In the meantime, the Republicans are just as attentive to the constantly shifting dynamics of the CD6 race. GOP State Senator Chris Shank recently lobbed the following bombs at the Democratic frontrunner, State Senator Rob Garagiola. The letter below appeared in The Gazette:
Now that Sen. Robert Garagiola (D-Dist. 15) of Germantown has announced his intentions to run for Congress, the voters of western Maryland should know where he stands....

"...as the majority leader representing the Democratic Party, he was the prime sponsor of both the gas tax and homosexual marriage, supported state tax dollars for illegal immigrants, has sponsored gun bans and, in 2007, voted for the largest tax increase in Maryland's history.

Christopher B. Shank, Hagerstown

As the field begins to set, it will be very interesting to see how the GOP race breaks down and where Mr. Bartlett, Mr. Ficker and Mr. Shank will try and get their votes. The comments above give a hint as to Mr. Shank's strategy, but at first blush, it appears he may be unprepared to win in a District that includes so much of Montgomery. The letter above seems like pretty typical Tea Party schlock.

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