By Emily Baker
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
U.S. Reps. Donna Edwards and Chris Van Hollen are offering Maryland voters progressive agendas as each seeks the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate to replace the retiring Barbara Mikulski.
Van Hollen currently has a financial edge over Edwards. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Van Hollen has raised $6.3 million while Edwards has raised $2.2 million as of Jan. 1.
The center also reported that Van Hollen’s top contributors include the large corporate law firm Arnold & Porter, as well as Marriott International. Edwards sees her top contributors being EMILY’s list, a PAC centered on pro-choice, female candidates, as well as the Bauman Foundation, founded to encourage progressive social movements.
Van Hollen currently has the numbers to win this newly open position. According to a Baltimore Sun-University of Baltimore poll, 45 percent of Democratic voters favor Van Hollen while 31 percent are going for Edwards.
But Edwards is no stranger to challenging campaigns, winning her first election for public office against 15-year incumbent Albert Wynn in 2008 to represent Maryland’s 4th congressional district.
“I wanted to get people to run against [Wynn], but no one would because they were scared. He had the Democratic political machine behind him,” Edwards said in an interview. “I decided to run myself. The only campaign I had run was for 11th grade class president, which was a successful campaign.”
Edwards lost to Wynn in 2006 by a small percentage but came back to defeat him by 60 percentage points in 2008. She said she used the two years after her loss to improve her organization in Prince George’s County and to raise more money.
“He was not representing the needs of our district,” Edwards said. “Politicians need to keep in mind the people who put them there. I never forgot that one single day.”
This emphasis on giving back has been the platform of Edwards’ campaign thus far. Whether it has been to children, struggling families or college students, Edwards said her campaign has looked to progressive solutions to help those in need.
While in Congress, Edwards has supported legislation such as the Afterschool Supper Program, which provides food to low-income children.
“I raised my son pretty much on my own,” said Edwards, who is a single mother. “I struggled to put food on the table. This is what makes me think about public policy. Everyday people face these problems.”
While Edwards has a progressive track record, she is not the only liberal candidate in the Democratic primary.
During Van Hollen’s 14 years in Congress, he has led efforts to strengthen gun control laws and he strongly favors a woman’s right to choose, same sex major, and a pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens. He opposes “tough on crime” laws.
In 2015, Van Hollen voted against the American SAFE Act, a bill designed to make it more difficult for Iraqi and or Syrian refugees to come to the United States.
“He’s a progressive, just as much as any other liberal Democrat, but he has a proven history of knowing how to get legislation passed,” said Matthew Teitelbaum, a campaign staff member with Van Hollen and secretary of the College Democrats of Maryland. “He has built the kind of relationships that draw the attention of the federal government to the needs of his constituents.”
The two candidates’ campaign will be tested greatly on their ability to improve what is perceived to be one of Maryland’s biggest challenges.
Since the Baltimore uprising in April 2015, the presidential candidates have tried to find ways to prevent unrest in other cities. For the Maryland representatives, this issue hits much closer to home.
“Part of what we do at [Van Hollen]’s campaign office is talk to Baltimore locals about the issues that matter to them,” Teitelbaum said. “This way he can get more of an idea about how best to serve the state outside of his district.”
Teitelbaum said Van Hollen has been fighting for a bill to improve the Chesapeake Ba that was endorsed by the national chapter of the SIERRA club, the nation’s largest environmentalist group.
Edwards agrees that the state’s congressional delegation should focus on the Baltimore community to help the state as a whole.
“Baltimore is one of the most pressing issues,” Edwards said. “What happened in Baltimore could happen to any city in America. We need to reinvest in urban care.”
She added: “These kids don’t believe we believe in them. It’s evident in the lack of investment in the schools. It’s time to invest in rebuilding infrastructure. If we can help Baltimore, we can help Maryland.”
The primary is April 26.