On Tuesday, David Trone learned the hard way that flooding the airwaves doesn’t always guarantee victory in politics. Trone, who owns a chain of wine stores, spent an insane $12.75 million of his own money in the Democratic primary for Maryland’s 8th Congressional District, in a suburb of Wahington. Even after adjusting for inflation, no other candidate in America had ever spent this much of his or her own fortune on a House race. However, state Sen. Jamie Raskin defeated Trone 34-27, with ex-hotel executive Kathleen Matthews at 24.
While Raskin and Matthews had nowhere near the kind of money that Trone had at his disposal, they both spent enough to air ads in the expensive Washington media market. Raskin had a geographic base of support in Silver Spring and Takoma Park, extensive labor support, and a following with local progressives, all advantages that Matthews and Trone didn’t have. Trone and Matthews also likely cost each other votes with more business-friendly voters. Obama carried this seat 62-36, and Raskin should have little trouble in November.