A former state delegate from Western Maryland and a Biden administration telecommunications official claimed victory in their respective primaries on Tuesday, paving the way for a campaign this fall to represent Maryland’s most competitive congressional district.
With nearly 90% of precincts reporting, Democrat April McClain Delaney, an attorney, philanthropist and former U.S. Department of Commerce official, had 39% of the vote compared to 26% for her closest competitor, Del. Joe Vogel (D-Montgomery). a field with 16 candidates.
Former Del. Neil Parrott had 48% of Republican primary votes in unofficial results, compared to 29% for Dan Cox, the party’s failed 2022 gubernatorial candidate.
McClain Delaney gathered with supporters — including a healthy number of current and former elected officials — in a ballroom in downtown Frederick, where supporters cheered, “Take back the House!” before she took the stage.
The primary victory “really shows that our down-to-earth, common campaign theme resonates with the district,” McClain Delaney told supporters, vowing to overcome “corrosive divisions” and partisan gridlock in Washington if he were elected in November.
In an interview, McClain Delaney said she is “a true Democrat” but also deeply cares about issues that cross party lines, including establishing safeguards around Big Tech, expanding access to mental health care and increasing economic chances.
The 6th District, which includes all of Western Maryland, Frederick County and part of northern Montgomery County, is expected to be the state’s most competitive congressional race in November’s general election.
Parrott, who celebrated with supporters Tuesday at Cancun Cantina, a restaurant in Hagerstown, spent Election Day handing out signs at every precinct in Allegany County and greeting voters in Garrett County. In a final pre-election post on Facebook, Parrott said he would “change the direction of our country” if elected.
“We can bring down the cost of living. We can stop runaway inflation and reckless spending. We can close the southern border and prevent fentanyl and violent criminals from entering our country,” he wrote. “We can finally bring conservative leadership to Western Maryland and Upper Montgomery County!”
Election night results are unofficial and include most Election Day ballots, early voting tallies and some mail-in votes. More mail-in voting results will be released Thursday after a nationwide survey. Final results, including all mail-in and provisional ballots, are not expected until May 24.
The 6th District seat became vacant when incumbent Rep. David Trone (D-6th) announced his — apparently failed, as of Tuesday evening — announcement that the Senate seat would be vacated by retiring U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (D). The open House seat attracted seven Republican hopefuls and 16 Democrats, including Del. Lesley Lopez (D-Montgomery), Hagerstown Mayor Tekesha Martinez, Montgomery County Councilwoman Laurie-Anne Sayles and 2022 gubernatorial candidate Ashwani Jain.
McClain Delaney and Vogel were seen as front-runners, attracting high-profile endorsements and six-figure fundraising sums.
McClain Delaney funded about $1 million of the $1.9 million her campaign raised through the end of April, according to the Federal Election Commission. She was endorsed by three current members of the state’s congressional delegation, Moms Demand Action and the editorial staff of The Washington Post.
Vogel, a 27-year state lawmaker who represents parts of Rockville and Gaithersburg, is openly gay and Jewish. He came to the US from Uruguay with his parents when he was three years old. Latino organizations and groups that support LGBTQ+ candidates were among his most reliable donors this campaign. He received the influential “Apple Ballot” endorsement from the state teachers union.
Before the results were posted Tuesday evening, Vogel posted a thank you message to supporters on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“From knocking on doors to calling voters, our grassroots operation has defied expectations and shown how powerful a people-powered campaign can be,” he wrote.
The Democratic campaigns traded attacks in the final weeks of the race, with Vogel attacking McClain Delaney’s self-funding and saying she believed “she could buy her way to victory.” McClain Delaney’s campaign criticized Vogel’s funding by political action committees, saying the “dark money” groups were “running an old, tired, negative campaign.”
McClain Delaney said she spoke with Vogel Tuesday night and they were both focused on bringing the party together.
Opinion polls linked to the campaigns had predicted a close race on Tuesday.
The GOP field included Cox, a former delegate; Parrott, who represented Washington County in the House of Representatives for twelve years; Tom Royals, a military veteran; and former Secretary of State Del. Brenda J. Thiam, who also represented Washington County.
Parrott was the GOP nominee in 2020 against Trone, who defeated him by 20 points. Parrott tried again in 2022, when a redrawn 6th District was slightly more favorable to Republicans. He still lost by more than 9 percentage points.
Among Republicans in the race, the Royals led the way in fundraising, raising $521,197.17 through the end of April. Parrott raised $346,607.58 at the same time, while Cox lagged behind in fundraising despite his ties to former President Donald Trump. Cox brought in $123,311.79 through April, revenue that included $3,000 out of his own pocket.
McClain Delaney’s wife, former U.S. Rep. John Delaney (D), held the 6th District seat from 2013 to 2019, when he did not seek re-election.
After redistricting in 2022, the 6th District became the state’s potentially most competitive district, covering all of Republican Western Maryland, as well as all of Frederick County and northern Montgomery County. Still, the race was rated “likely Democrat” by the Cook Political Report earlier this month.
The general election is on November 5.
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