Comment Rep. David Trone (D-Md.) is expected to win his re-election bid, holding off a challenge from Del. Neil C. Parrott (R) in Maryland’s 6th Congressional District, which for the first time in years emerged as the state’s most competitive congressional race, leading Trone to invest millions of his personal fortune in defending the seat. Parrott called on Trone to concede Friday afternoon, both campaigns confirmed. Trone’s victory allows Democrats to score another victory in the still closely fought battle for control of the US House, which remains unresolved. Republican hopes for a big red wave were dashed spectacularly after Democrats defied expectations to hold on to seats in many tough districts while avoiding several surprise upsets in others, such as Maryland’s 6th, where most political analysts saw Trone as the favorite despite a strong challenge from Parrott. The rematch between Trone and Parrott was seen as Maryland’s most exciting congressional race, where Parrott hoped a strong grassroots game and widespread dissatisfaction with the economy and President Biden could overcome his vast personal wealth and establishment advantage. Throne. But after Trone, the co-founder of Total Wine & More, poured more than $12 million of his own money into his campaign, he largely dominated Parrott on air, calling him “extreme” on abortion and other social issues. , while he had a lot to show for his personal mission. Trone’s massive financial advantage largely prevented any significant investment from national Republicans, leaving Parrott to try to pull off an upset with minimal resources. Parrott had raised about $800,000 this year. Trone had beaten Parrott, an engineer and longtime Maryland representative, in 2020. But the race got more competitive this year after redistricting made the 6th District redder — thanks largely to Parrott’s personal crusades against party operatives in Annapolis. He and several other Republicans won a lawsuit that led to a new congressional map this year that gave Republicans a chance in the Western Maryland district. But even though the district lost some bluer D.C. suburbs, it retained a sizable swath of populous, deep-blue Montgomery County, where Troun rallied Parrott, who couldn’t make a difference despite his apparent popularity in the redder— but less densely populated – Western Maryland . Troun took a narrow lead in the race late Thursday night, including purple Frederick County, after more ballots were counted and reported. And while thousands remain to be counted — particularly in Montgomery — his lead is expected to grow. Parrott acknowledged that led him to call Trone to congratulate him on Friday. Despite the loss, Parrott’s campaign found silver linings, believing that the “extreme partisan manipulation” of the previous congressional map has been corrected and Marylanders should have a “real say” in who they elect to Congress this year. “While this was not the result we wanted, it is not a defeat and it is not the end,” Parrott said in a statement. “We united the Republican Party in western Maryland. We faced a crushing spending shortfall that spooked national Republicans. We fought—and won—in court to make this district fair and competitive, and the people of the Sixth Ward never to be taken for granted again.” Trone was first elected in 2018, projecting an image as a centrist who wants to use his business chops in Congress to broker bipartisan deals. “You can’t pass a bill with just messaging. This will do nothing. This is a waste of my life,” Trone told a roomful of Democratic voters in Gaithersburg last month, before cracking up: “So I go in there, eat the chili dogs with the Republicans. The Democrats – our wardrobe is mostly veggie burgers.” He became co-chairman of the Bipartisan Task Force on Mental Health and Addiction, devoting much of his service in Congress to issues that were personal to him. His nephew died of a fentanyl overdose in 2016, an experience Trone said made him want to lead bipartisan legislation that boosts mental health and addiction resources to help people struggling with substance abuse find treatment . He also tried to steer the criminal justice system away from incarcerating people as a solution to the drug addiction crisis, which had happened to his nephew. Some of the local allies he has worked with on this mission have appeared in emotional campaign ads for Trone. Western Maryland has had its own challenges with the opioid epidemic, particularly in the pandemic. “David believed in us,” Kevin Simmers, who lost his daughter to an overdose and has been linked to Trone, said in an ad. “For every person suffering from a substance abuse disorder, there is no greater champion than David Trone.” Trone had also talked about his story as a farmer’s son in several commercials. he often tells him the story of the foreclosure of his father’s farm, seeking to establish connections in rural areas of the region. His work on a number of agricultural issues in Congress helped Trone win support from the Maryland Farm Bureau, along with several other Maryland incumbents. But some conservative voters remained skeptical. “You see these ads, people would think he’s the skinniest in this country — it’s not even close,” a Frederick County voter who supports Parrott, James Parise, said at the rally Cruz organized for him. last month. “But that doesn’t mean he hasn’t worked hard and built a business, Total Wine & More, and is funding his campaign.” Many conservative voters said they were excited about Parrott’s competitive bid, given that it has been a decade since a Republican has represented this area of the state. Parrott, one of the most conservative members of the Maryland State House, galvanized supporters with pledges to rein in government spending, close the U.S.-Mexico border, empower parents in their children’s education and create a “place where life is protected from the beginning. until the end of life”. Trone had followed Parrott’s staunch opposition to abortion in advertisements that spoke to the post-Roe concerns about abortion rights. Parrott, a social conservative who sought to overturn the state’s legalization of same-sex marriage, previously spearheaded a proposal to ban abortions at 20 weeks and said he would support a 15-week ban in Congress. But while political analysts considered his overthrow Roe And Parrott’s social conservatism was benefits for Trone on the purple turf, they also saw Republican gubernatorial candidate Dan Cox as a draw to Parrott, potentially dampening the Republican enthusiasm that would be needed to propel Parrott to victory. Cox lost to Governor-elect Wes Moore (D) by more than 20 percentage points. This article has been updated to add a statement from Parrott.
