Here in Maryland, the Democratic Party has a pretty firm grasp on policy with large majorities in both state chambers and a progressive Governor. Our Congressional Delegation is currently 6-2 in Dem representation. Some plans discussed ways to make MD a 8-0 delegation, though I would think its hard to pull off. Most Dems here think a 7-1 split will be easier to pull off. Which Republican district to target though seems to have caused some disagreement between Minority Whip Steny Hoyer and liberal firebrand Donna Edwards. Hoyer wants to retake the Eastern Shore while Edwards thinks Dems can be successful in Western MD.
Western MD, the 6th, is currently represented by Rep. Barlett, a consistent backbencher for the GOP since he was elected in 1992. The Eastern Shore, the 1st, is now represented by Rep. Harris of "I WANT MY GOV'T HEALTHCARE NOW" fame. Both districts are rated as R+13, just below Speaker Boehner's R+14. And here y'all thought MD was full of Democrats.
Despite Hoyer's stature in state politics (he's dean of MD's delegation) and his position as Minority Whip, Rep. Edwards approach seems to be gaining ground.
Sources: Congressional delegation Dems eye Bartlett as redistricting target
Hoyer has urged his colleagues to facilitate a comeback for Kratovil, who held the 1st District seat before being ousted by Harris in 2010 – and who, by the way, is an old family friend of Hoyer’s. The minority whip argued that Kratovil was a talented member who took some tough votes for the Democrats – including supporting the cap-and-trade bill – and deserved a chance to represent a friendlier district.
But Edwards made the case, according to sources, that Kratovil’s 2008 win was a fluke – and that even bringing the 1st District across the Bay Bridge into Prince George’s County or Baltimore City might not provide enough Democrats for Kratovil to win. She also argued that that adding African-American voters into an Eastern Shore district was the wrong thing to do, especially with the city losing one-twentieth of its population over the past decade. And she pointed out that Kratovil’s voting record may not have been sufficiently progressive – he voted against health care reform, for example – to captivate base Democratic voters.
Edwards has apparently been working with a redistricting expert as the delegation has been deliberating the redraw. She also is reportedly willing to take on deep Republican territory in Anne Arundel County (while keeping turf in Prince George’s and Montgomery counties) to help the Democratic cause. It’s easy to be magnanimous when you won your last election with 83 percent of the vote.
So for now, the fragile consensus in the delegation seems to be to draw a new 6th District that runs roughly from Rockville to Oakland, a driving distance of about 170 miles. The 1st District would then take in all of the Eastern Shore and extend into conservative Carroll County, all but guaranteeing Harris a safe seat for the next decade.
I like Rep. Edwards line of thinking mainly because:
-Baltimore City should be a unified district with one Representative. It currently is divided into 3, shared by Reps. Cummings, Ruppersberger, and Sarbanes.
-To make the 1st more competitive, districts that have little in common with the Eastern Shore have to be included, which smacks of gerrymandering.
-Making the 6th more competitive would likely have it lose areas along the PA border and gain areas along the VA border. No real need to create crazy lines in this situation.
-Rep. Kratovil could have been a fluke due to a nasty GOP primary and Obama turnout. Before Kratovil, the Eastern Shore was represented by Rep. Wayne Gilchrest, a moderate Republican. He advocated for the environment and supported LGBT rights. When the GOP began its purging phase, Gilchrest was one of its first victims in the GOP primary. Many people on the Eastern Shore were disgusted by the tactics Harris used in the primary, and Gilchrest went on to endorse Kratovil in the general. Kratovil won in 2008 by 3,000ish votes, then lost in 2010 by 35,000ish votes. That's a bigass swing, and I doubt attitudes have shifted in the 1st to make it viable for Kratovil or another Dem to run again.
-The 6th is getting bluer. In the 2010 elections, Democrats gained some historically Republican seats due to cities like Fredrick gaining more liberal minded voters.
-Rep. Edwards also points to the Democratic base and the meh support for Kratovil.
Should the redistricting commission produce a map with Rep. Edwards POV, it would be another victory for her as her star continues to ride. She's already held in high regards by other Dems.
On a day when two fellow Maryland lawmakers got important titles and another Maryland native remained the House's top Democrat, Rep. Donna Edwards got to play a small but symbolically important role in the process.
...
Edwards -- whose 4th district includes parts of Prince George's and Montgomery counties -- wasn't on any of the ballots, but she did get to make her voice heard during the Democratic Caucus' private meeting in the Cannon House Office Building.
...Edwards was asked by Hoyer to nominate him for his post, and she also seconded the nominations of two other lawmakers -- Rep. James Clyburn (S.C.) for the position of Assistant Leader, and Rep. John Larson (Conn.) for the post of Democratic Caucus Chairman.
...Edwards was the only Democrat to nominate three different lawmakers. A senior Democratic aide noted that the fact that her public support was so widely-sought indicates the respect she holds all around the leadership table after less than three years in Congress.
It also wouldn't be the first time she would have clashed with Hoyer.
Depending on who you talk to, Hoyer was either equivocating on the question of whether entitlement changes should be part of a big deficit-reduction/debt-limit increase measure or simply arguing that Democrats need to win independents in the next election, but whatever he said at a Democratic whip meeting before the White House session did not sit well with Edwards.
Edwards tore into Hoyer, witnesses said. She told the leader in no uncertain terms that Democrats had to be able to trust that he and Pelosi would have the same message at the White House meeting: No cuts to Medicare or Social Security.
Until the commission comes out with MD's new lines, we'll have to wait and see if this is another victory for Rep. Edwards. Given her district and her margins of winning though, 83% to 16% last time, Rep. Edwards should be around for quite a while.