By Caitlin Moynihan
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
As she begins her campaign for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Barbara Mikulski, state Rep. Kathy Szeliga is hoping to duplicate what Larry Hogan did in 2014 – win a statewide election as a Republican in heavily Democratic Maryland.
Szeliga’s campaign kicked off on Nov. 10 and came relatively late in the game compared to her Democratic competitors, U.S. Reps. Donna Edwards and Chris Van Hollen, both of whom have been campaigning since March.
“I’m not worried,” said Szeliga, who is the minority whip in the Maryland House of Delegates. “I didn’t feel pressure to announce my candidacy before I did. It is such a big, enormous task to enter into a statewide race. I made sure to do my homework.”
Time isn’t the only thing Szeliga is catching up on. Szeliga will also need money for her campaign – and lots of it. The two Democrats in the race have already amassed hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign donations.
“I believe that the primary elections will cost the Democrats a lot more money, especially if [U.S. Rep.] Elijah Cummings joins the race,” Szeliga said. “Their primary will be more expensive than mine. They are going to have to spend every penny in the [April 26] primaries and on April 27 I am going to have a lot more money in my bank.”
With 49 Republican delegates spread across the state’s 42 legislative districts working for her, Szeliga believes she will have support and encouragement to keep her campaign at a low-cost.
If Szeliga wins the race, she would be the first Republican Maryland representative in the U.S. Senate in the past three decades.
During her candidacy announcement, Szeliga vowed to replicate the 2014 upset when Hogan won the governor’s race in Democratic Maryland.
“I hit the ground running,” Szeliga said. “I was in Annapolis and now I’m coming back from Laurel. I’m going to every corner and every town in the state, working with each committee.”
Szeliga counts U.S. Rep. Andy Harris and Anne Arundel County Executive Steve Schuh as two of her biggest supporters. Szeliga became the highest-ranking Republican woman in the General Assembly in 2013 when she was elected minority whip, which influenced her decision to run for Senate.
“One of the reasons why I am running this race is for my newborn granddaughter,” Szeliga said. “When I look at her, I wonder who is going to be her fairy godmother. I wonder who is going to be the next group of women who are going to take a risk and rise to the challenge, regardless of party.”
Szeliga grew up living the life of a self-proclaimed military brat as her family moved multiple times throughout her adolescence while her father fought in Vietnam.
The experience has given Szeliga a passion for veterans and their cries for help. According to a 2015 study done by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, veterans make up over 20 percent of suicides. Szeliga promises to focus her efforts on helping veterans if elected into U.S. Senate.
“I know the life of a military family, and I am very disappointed with what is going on with the Veterans Administration,” Szeliga said. “Look at the wounded veterans, men and women who are coming back from being overseas. We aren’t doing a good enough job for them. They signed up voluntarily to put their lives on the line for us and we owe them more than what they are getting. It’s one of my key issues on my platform, working for veterans and their families.”
Szeliga is determined to show her passions and prove herself worthy of the Senate seat. When asked to describe her campaign in five words or less, Szeliga responded with, “It’s time to change Washington.”
Szeliga plans on continuing to make public appearances and speeches throughout the state of Maryland during the remainder of the race.