Parrott gets rematch in Maryland's 6th Congressional District after primary win

Republican state Del. Neil Parrott will once again face incumbent Democratic U.S. Rep. David Trone in November after both candidates secured primary victories Tuesday night, according to the Associated Press.

Parrott fended off a challenge from Matthew Foldi, a young former reporter who had the backing of Republican Gov. Larry Hogan and House Republican leaders Kevin McCarthy and Elise Stefanik, as well as Donald Trump Jr. "The voters know who's been working for over 12 years for Western Maryland," Parrott said in an interview at his campaign's election headquarters in Washington County, after the AP had called the race. "There's a great grassroots effort all across District Six for this campaign."

Trone defeated Parrott in 2020. However, a lawsuit filed by Parrott reshaped the Western Maryland congressional district, leading analysts to conclude the general election may be much more competitive.

"I am gratified for the overwhelming support in the primary, and I look forward to continuing to wage an aggressive campaign that offers common-sense solutions to issues that affect the lives of people in this district," said Trone, in a statement emailed on Wednesday.

The incumbent congressman has over $10 million in cash-on-hand for the race, which includes a $10 million personal loan, according to Federal Election Commission filing reports from June. The two-term representative is the co-owner of Total Wine & More, an alcohol retail company. An advertisement for his campaign played on the radio in the sandwich shop across the street from his district office in Hagerstown on Tuesday night.

Parrott's appeal to his supporters on Tuesday night was simple: "You can vote for someone who is one of you," noting his residency in Western Maryland (Hagerstown) and his middle-class family.

On hand at Parrott's campaign headquarters on election night were father and son, Clifton and Caleb Gee, first-time campaign volunteers. "Neil (Parrott) lives in our community," the elder Gee said. The younger Gee said he would like to see Western Maryland represented in Congress.

Parrott's top primary opponent, Foldi, spent much of Tuesday afternoon at polling places in the district, meeting voters in the parking lot of Damascus Road Community Church in Frederick County's Mount Airy.

The sixth district election was one of many closely watched primary races across Maryland on Tuesday, including most notably the contest to succeed Hogan, who is term-limited. The Associated Press declared Republican state Del. Dan Cox, backed by former President Donald Trump, the winner over the Hogan administration official Kelly Schulz.

More:Republicans see a chance to compete in Maryland's 6th Congressional District

Parrott will now try to flip a seat that's been held by a Democrat for nearly a decade in a broader attempt by the Republican Party to win back control of the House of Representatives.

During his speech after the AP called the election, Parrott referenced a successful grassroots effort in 2016 to defeat Trone by now Congressman Jamie Raskin, despite a $10 million difference in fundraising.

Raskin defeated Republican Dan Cox in the general election for the Congressional District 8 seat that year, receiving 60 percent of the vote.

The general election this year is scheduled for Tuesday, November 8, 2022.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Neil Parrott gets a rematch with David Trone with primary election win