Posted on 02/14/2008 11:10:06 AM PST by JZelle
CENTREVILLE, Md. (AP) — Even as Maryland primary voters cited "moderation" in their picks for president, two congressional districts turned out incumbents for the first time in more than 30 years, one Democrat and one Republican, both accused of being too moderate.
The losses Tuesday of Republican Rep. Wayne T. Gilchrest, an antiwar critic of President Bush, and Democratic Rep. Albert R. Wynn, whose 2003 vote authorizing the war chafed loyalists in his party, signaled anti-incumbent sentiment that surprised many state politicians. But maybe not voters.
"Psychologically, people want to see change," said John Davis, 45, a Republican from Chestertown, in Mr. Gilchrest's district. "The thinking is sort of, 'Anything is better than this,' "
Though the two districts in Maryland appear to have little in common — one is mostly white and rural, the other suburban and mostly black — the successful challengers both exploited anti-incumbent sentiment and the sitting congressmen's stances on the war and the economy.
Mr. Gilchrest and Mr. Wynn became the first congressional incumbents nationwide to lose this year, although only one other state, Illinois, has included congressional races with its presidential primary elections so far.
In the 1st District, state Sen. Andrew P. Harris handily beat Mr. Gilchrest after a nine-month, $1.2 million campaign in which Mr. Harris accused Mr. Gilchrest of not supporting U.S. troops because he was one of two Republicans in Congress to vote for a timeline for withdrawing from Iraq and for saying he regretted his decision to authorize the war.
Mr. Wynn, an eight-term incumbent, was ousted in the 4th District by Democrat Donna Edwards, who narrowly lost to Mr. Wynn two years ago. She spent the interim making a case to retire Mr. Wynn, among the more moderate black Democrats in Congress.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Are you listening, GOP? This country is in no mood to elect another "moderate" like McCain.
I'd say the GOP is about to learn that the hard way, but I don't think it will learn at all.
Wynn was defeated by Moveon.org - they funded alot of ads against him. I hope this doesn’t portend a Senator Al Franken this fall ...
Polarization baby.
A RINO got replaced by a true conservative and a semi sane moderate liberal got replaced by commie barking moonbat liberal
This is why I don’t care too much about the outcome of the Presidential race. I think the GOP has an incredible opportunity in the Congressional races.
Gilchrest’s radio ads where full of it. He deserves to go down.
were
The incumbant RINO Gilcrest was not a moderate, he was a liberal. Gilchrest had a 100% voting rating from the National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL) and was backed by the republican establishment with endorsements from President Bush former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele as well as the liberal Baltimore Sun newspaper.
The pro-life, anti-illegal immigration, no cut and run Harris was endorsed by many local conservative activists, James Dobson, Gun Owners of America, National Right to Life Committee PAC, Eagle Forum PAC, RNC Life PAC, and the Washington Times.
There are still some left in Maryland.
Send me one to run against Hoyer.
Please.
Too bad that that anti-incumbent fever didn’t snag the likes of Steny (what the hell is a steny?) Hoyer, Elijah Cummings, and Chrissy Van Hollen.
“what the hell is a steny?”
A gay stenographer?
80% of the House districts are gerrymandered into safe districts in which moderation leads to defeat.
They only think he’s so great because he’s black. Simple as that. They want to be able to play the race card... meanwhile they don’t even think and consider his real record, his qualifications, or anything else.
I’d bet the crime rate in Gilchrest’s district is lower than the crime rate in Wynn’s. In fact, I’d bet that is almost always true, democrat vs Republican.
Maryland “Freak State” PING!
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