(Sample ballots arrived and I wanted to try and break down some of the non presidential candidates on the ballot to help myself, and you, understand.)
After the big one, first up is the second choice on the ballot, which is for the Senate. The senate race is between 7-term Democrat Rep. Chris Van Hollen (MD-8), the not-so-obviously-crazy Republican Kathy Szeliga (current Delegate) and Green party long-shot Margaret Flowers all vying for Barbara Mikulski's Senate seat.
Here’s a video of Van Hollen challenging the Ryan budget in 2013 on FOX.
Van Hollen was born in 1959 in Karachi, Pakistan, where his father worked as a foreign service officer. He earned his B.A. from Swarthmore College, his M.P.P. from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and his J.D. from Georgetown Law School in 1982, 1985, and 1990, respectively. Prior to his political career, Van Hollen worked as an attorney.
Video from his speech at the 2012 Democratic National Convention.
I know that Szeliga can come across somewhat sane in today’s Republican party, and if you're like me and have driven around Maryland can see she has some supporters (maybe more than Trump signs). However she has said she will vote for Trump which separates her from Republican hero and Lex Luther cos-player Governor Hogan.
Check out samples from the Van Hollen and Szeliga debate HERE where Van Hollen tied Szeliga to her support for Trump and her voting against raising the minimum wage, she has tried to temper her record a bit by saying she wouldn’t repeal the ACA and avoids a lot of her horrible positions she has voted on.
Van Hollen is probably 30 points or so ahead, so this should be an easy win, BUT I always think it is good to know who these people are. Van Hollen isn’t exactly inspiring, he’s kind of a Democratic party normal, but him in the Senate would absolutely help Clinton. I don’t see any upsets with this race like with Gov. Hogan (R-Harkonnen).
However Szeliga enjoys calling Van Hollen a career politician, she is the minority whip in the Maryland House of Delegates and is pro-life, pro-gun and anti-gay.
Szeliga voted against same-sex marriage legislation in 2012; passage of that bill in Annapolis was upheld in a voter referendum that year. “I respect the ballot,” said Szeliga, adding that the same-sex marriage issue has been “settled…[it’s] not coming back up.” (From Bethesda Magazine)
I don’t know if Van Hollen doesn’t think he needs to sling mud but he totally could be hitting her harder on her far right positions. Honestly, maybe this isn’t the election but someone will need to, Republicans are looking at Maryland as a place going purple and need to be divested of that fantasy.
NEXT UP: C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, Judges AND twelve questions.