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The Martin Chronicles
Just a few days ago, a not-so-veiled swipe at the politics of “triangulation” fueled speculation that former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley was gearing up for a challenge to Hillary Clinton. His exact fightin’ words: “Triangulation is not a strategy that will move America forward. History celebrates profiles in courage, not profiles in convenience.” Take that, “bridge to a 21st 22nd Century” . . .
Then came this plot twist out of Baltimore’s Fells Point neighborhood: Barbara Mikulski, Maryland’s senior U.S. senator, announcing that she won’t seek a sixth term in 2016 (here’s a list of all senators whose terms expire next year).
Now, the speculation is that O’Malley might shift his sights to the Senate — the thinking being that it’s less formidable than taking on the Clinton Death Star.
Then again, winning a Democratic primary in Maryland wouldn’t be a cakewalk for O’Malley. Among the possible contenders he could face:
— Rep. Chris Van Hollen, who comes from moneyed Montgomery County;
— Rep. Donna Edwards, who represents Democratic-heavy Prince George’s County (Montgomery and P.G. Counties blanket the District of Columbia);
— State Comptroller Peter Franchot, who ran for governor last year;
— Rep. John Sarbanes, son of former Sen. Paul Sarbanes;
— Rep. Elijah Cummings, one of the more visible Democratic fighters in the House.
On the Republican side, the first two names out of the chute are Michael Steele, the former Republican National Committee chair and GOP Senate nominee in 2006, and Daniel Bongino, who ran for the Senate in 2012.
Will Maryland be competitive ground in 2016? The state last elected a Republican senator in 1980. Then again, Republican businessman Larry Hogan pulled off a stunning upset in last year’s governor’s race, so Democrats will keep a watchful eye.
Final note: First elected to Congress in 1976 (and to the Senate 10 years afterwards), Mikulski is the nation’s longest-serving female senator — and the first woman to chair the Senate Appropriations Committee. She’s also the most vertically challenged of the Senate’s 100 members (listed height: 4 feet, 11 inches) — and, as far as I know, the only senator with a supernova bearing her name.
Published in General
Very interesting; it’s always fascinating to read the chronology of a state’s political ‘rip tides’ and the political pedigree of its elected officials.
Thank you.
Martin O’Malley is barely a stuffed shirt. He’d be the archetypal Democratic senator.
Whether Democrat challenger or Republican the road to beating Hillary is to overcome her attempt to claim she’d be the third Clinton term, and demonstrate that she’d be the third Obama term.
Why wouldn’t Bob Ehrlich run for Senate? Hogan would have to remain popular over the next two years. He would be a far more formidable candidate than either Steele or Bongino.
Ben Carson is another interesting possibility.
David Craig also ran a decent primary campaign against Gov. Hogan. He would also be possibility.
But I agree with Richard in that Ben Carson is by far the most interesting prospect. His name recognition in Maryland is off-the-charts; his race would neutralize some of the attacks against him; his lack of direct political experience would be more of an asset than the liability it would be in a presidential campaign.
I think there is real hope. The democrat party machine was exposed as fundamentally weak in last year’s governor’s race. Their bench is pretty thin.
Jose.
O’Malley just ruled out running for the Senate. I think we should take him at his word.
This will be a very interesting election.
After hearing the new CPAC podcast with Ehrlich, I find him a pretty compelling candidate.