Political notes: Maryland teachers union endorses McClain Delaney for MD-6

Ceoli Jacoby, The Frederick News-Post, Md.
·3 min read

April McClain Delaney, the Democratic nominee for the open congressional seat in Maryland’s District 6, on Monday was endorsed by the Maryland State Education Association and the affiliated National Education Association.

MSEA says it represents 75,000 education professionals across Maryland. The NEA comprises 3 million members, according to the organization’s website.

“I am honored to have educators’ endorsement of our campaign, and I look forward to our continued work together to ensure that Maryland continues to be a champion for world-class public education,” McClain Delaney said in the press release.

McClain Delaney, a former Commerce Department official from Potomac, won the Democratic nomination in the 6th District in May with 40.38% of the vote, according to Maryland State Board of Elections (SBE) data.

In the Democratic primary, the teachers unions jointly endorsed runner-up Joe Vogel, a state delegate from Gaithersburg who received 26.25% of the vote.

Neil Parrott, a former state delegate from Hagerstown, won the Republican nomination in the district with 45.93% of the vote.

Parrott and McClain Delaney are competing for the U.S. House seat held by Rep. David Trone (D), who did not seek reelection this year and instead ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate.

The 6th District includes the northern part of Montgomery County and all of Frederick, Washington, Allegany and Garrett counties.

Late last month, the state and national teachers unions jointly endorsed Angela Alsobrooks for the U.S. Senate seat held by Sen. Ben Cardin (D), who is retiring after his current term.

Alsobrooks won the Democratic nomination for the open Senate seat in May with 53.37% of the vote. Trone was runner-up with 42.8%, according to SBE data.

In the general election on Nov. 5, Alsobrooks will face former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, who in May won the Republican nomination for Cardin’s seat with 64.18% of the vote.

Third-party candidates hope to get on ballot

In addition to McClain Delaney and Parrott, two third-party candidates are running for Congress in Maryland’s 6th District.

Moshe Landman, a consultant from Clarksburg, is the sole candidate seeking the Green Party nomination for the open U.S. House seat.

Landman’s spot on the general election ballot will not be made official until after the Maryland Green Party primary. That primary will be open through 8 p.m. on July 25, according to the organization’s website.

Jason Johnson, a Frederick County Board of Education member who lives in New Market, is also running for Congress in the 6th District.

Johnson recently became an affiliate of the Maryland Forward Party after initially campaigning as an independent. The Forward Party, a newly formed group, promotes election reforms such as open primaries and ranked-choice voting.

To appear on the ballot as an independent, Johnson would have needed to collect 5,620 signatures in support of his candidacy by the first Monday in August, according to SBE Director of Candidacy and Campaign Finance Allen Norfleet.

Now that he has switched his affiliation, Johnson said in a phone interview on Monday, his appearance on the ballot depends on the Forward Party’s recognition in Maryland.

To become recognized in the state, the Maryland Forward Party must submit a petition with 10,000 accepted signatures by the first Monday in August.

Johnson said on Monday that while the party has received just under 2,000 signatures so far, “the month is still young.”

“It’s refreshing to be with a party that has people’s interests in mind,” Johnson said, adding that his key issues as a candidate — education, inflation, infrastructure and veterans — have not changed.

Maryland Forward Party to announce new endorsement, affiliation

The Maryland Forward Party on Monday was poised to announce a “historic” endorsement and affiliation.

However, the group decided to postpone the announcement “with deepest respect for the victims of the attempted assassination of former President Trump.”

A new date and time for the announcement has not yet been confirmed, Maryland Forward Party spokesperson Matthew Beyers said on Monday. The announcement is not related to Johnson’s affiliation with the group.