Voters of Maryland are now selecting nominees for the U.S. Senate seat that is officially being held on to by Sen. Barbara Mikulski, now for over 30 years. Such includes a Democratic contest that became a heavy clash over race and even gender.
According to STL Today, U.S. Reps. Chris Van Hollen and Donna Edwards; one that would potentially be just the second black woman elected to the Senate, was said be locked in a tight competition to take the place of the retiring Sen. Mikulski. To add to it, Baltimore and a big percentage of its black population became key prizes; one which has attracted heavy attention from some top Democrats that do not exactly gauge in too soon.
As per Daily Mail, Republicans, on the other hand, keep their fingers crossed regarding GOP Gov. Larry Hogan's popularity in November to take a vital spot in a state wherein the Democrats outnumber them under a 2-1 statistic. Generally, the Republican field is considerably crowded, with Del. Kathy Szeliga and Richard Douglas; former Defense Department appointee during the George W. Bush administration. It was also confirmed that Chrys Kefalas from former Gov. Robert Ehrlich's administration, will also be running.
It was noted by ABC News that Van Hollen, who won his congressional seat in 2002 and has been a congressman since 2003, has continued to run on his record as a 'pragmatic progressive' that is capable of reaching across the political aisle to deliver. On the other hand, Edwards has campaigned as a candidate that looks more to hold liberal principals without the need to settle political deals. Edwards was a lawyer and activist before beating incumbent Rep. Al Wynn.
Both Van Hollen and Edwards are 57 years old, with their own notable credentials to take note of. Van Hollen defeated incumbenr Republican Rep. Connie Morella, serving over 12 years as a state legislator before it. Edwards, as mentioned, beat Wynn in 2008, proceeding to becoming the first black woman to win election to Congress in Maryland. Both candidates legitimately represent House districts that comprise of the suburbs of the nation's capital.
