WASHINGTON — Rep. Chris Van Hollen weathered the challenge of Donna Edwards, but he has one woman left to face before he closes the door on Maryland’s 30-year run of female representation in the U.S. Senate by succeeding Sen. Barbara Mikulski.
Republican Delegate Kathy Szeliga is that woman, and she has an uphill battle to top the popular Van Hollen. Szeliga easily captured the Republican nomination in the Tuesday primary with 36 percent of the vote over opponents Chris Chaffee (14 percent) and Chrys Kefalas (10 percent).
“It’s a Democratic state in a Democratic year with either (Sen. Ted) Cruz or more likely (Donald) Trump at the top of the ticket; that spells doom and gloom,” said Washington political analyst Stu Rothenberg. “I met Szeliga. She’s personable, has some experience. She hasn’t raised nearly enough money, but the big problem she’s faced with is the state’s partisanship and this year.”
Szeliga, a Baltimore native and former teacher who owns a construction company with her husband, has pitched herself as being in the mold of fellow Republican, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan. She stresses economic issues such as cutting regulations on small businesses, and in an email expressed confidence that she can follow in Hogan’s footsteps.
“The last time Maryland held a statewide election, they elected Republican Larry Hogan. In addition, Republicans saw pickups in the General Assembly and in local races,” Szeliga said. “So Maryland clearly isn’t as left-leaning as some people think. Right now, people are very happy with the work Governor Hogan has been doing to change Maryland, and I plan to work with him to bring that same change to Washington… Congressman Van Hollen has been in Congress for more than a decade, and what does he have to show for it? Our debt has more than doubled.”
Szeliga’s message to voters?
“I have been telling Maryland voters if they like Washington they way it is then they should vote for Chris Van Hollen, the ultimate insider. But if they want to send a fresh face with fresh ideas to change Washington, they should support me.”
Van Hollen is well-liked in Maryland, though. He began his political career in Annapolis and defeated Rep. Edwards Tuesday by 14 points in what was thought to be a close race. Mikulski, a Democrat, is retiring.
A Monmouth University survey of likely Democratic voters found that 60 percent view Van Hollen favorably.
On Tuesday in Montgomery County, voter Hannah Jerison, 20, said “Chris Van Hollen has represented this district congressionally for a long time and he’s well known in our community.”
His appeal crosses party lines in the case of Bethesda, Maryland resident Joan Connelly.
“Frankly, I’m a registered Republican, but I like Chris Van Hollen,” Connelly said of the candidate who earned her vote in the Maryland primary. “I think he’d be a good senator; he’s been a good representative.”
Connelly isn’t the only Bethesda Republican to hold that opinion.
Mauricio Viles, 54, said “I’ll probably go with Van Hollen. [He’s] moderate, he’s well-seasoned, he’s done a good job. We’ve been here for six years, so he’s someone that I respect.”
Other than Szeliga, the only female winner of a primary set to vie for a seat in Congress in November is Republican Amie Hoeber, who received 29 percent of the vote Tuesday and will challenge incumbent John Delaney for Maryland’s sixth congressional district. That fact is not lost on Szeliga.
“I agree with Donna Edwards when she pointed out that we are facing a possibility of having an all-male congressional delegation – and that’s not good for Maryland,” she said. “Women make up 60% of voters in Maryland yet there is a chance we may have no women in Congress. That clearly doesn’t represent the state well. I believe that as a woman I can bring a unique perspective to the table.”
Rothenberg is confident that Szeliga’s gender will have no impact on the vote. This election cycle has seen a lot of surprises, but he doesn’t expect a Szeliga upset to be one of them.
“Van Hollen will raise a ton of money, he’s a good campaigner, polished and poised— she has a lot of work to do to prove that this is even a campaign worth watching closely.”
Photo at top: For the first time in three decades, Maryland may have only male representatives in Washington. (Pierre-Salim/Creative Commons)