Democrat April McClain Delaney looks grumpy as Republican Neil Parrott delivers closing remarks during their 6th District congressional forum Sunday. A moment later the two stood up, arguing and jabbing at each other. Photo by Josh Kurtz.
For 57 minutes Sunday, the first candidates forum in Maryland’s most competitive U.S. House district was fairly sedate and civil, with Democrat April McClain Delaney and Republican Neil C. Parrott sticking to their well-rehearsed talking points and mild partisan lines of attack.
But the final three minutes of the forum, at Hood College in Frederick, erupted into anger and chaos, with the candidates talking angrily about each other and jabbing their fingers menacingly in the other’s direction. Parrott, a former state lawmaker, briefly stormed offstage when a Hood political science professor tried to restore order, then returned in time to accept Delaney’s offer of a handshake.
The argument started during Parrott’s two-minute closing statement. He complained to Delaney, a lawyer and former Commerce Department official, that while she had talked about civility and finding common ground for most of the forum, “what about the lies you say in your campaign ad about posted my record?” When Delaney tried to respond to the criticism, Parrott began waving his finger at his opponent and shouting, “This is my turn – my two minutes!” as two dozen of his supporters, wearing green campaign T-shirts, honked and shouted their approval.
Delaney, who was sitting just a few feet away, pointed angrily in Parrott’s direction, her face turning red with anger, and appeared to be trying to say something to Parrott privately – or at least without speaking into her microphone, while Parrott continued his tirade. He claimed Delaney “had no record” and then repeated his previous claim that the fact she doesn’t live in the district should be a disqualification as District 6 voters consider who to support.
Delaney’s supporters, trying to counter the noise of Parrott’s partisans, began chanting, “APRIL! APRIL! APRIL!” Delaney gestured for her supporters to calm down.
As Parrott completed his closing remarks, he left the stage, while political science professor Sara Malec, who asked candidates at the beginning of the forum to “please be polite and respectful to your opponent,” attempted to force a local League of Women Voters onto the stage to end the event and encourage people to vote. Parrott and Delaney spoke heatedly to each other, without a microphone, standing angrily and making gestures as the forum presenters concluded proceedings.
“It’s okay, we’ll be polite,” Delaney said softly as Parrott left the stage. Parrott returned moments later and paused for a few seconds before taking Delaney’s hand as she offered him a handshake.
The crowd of about 75 people – mostly students and local political activists – seemed both energized and stunned by what they saw.
Parrott was apparently referring to some of Delaney’s campaign ads and mailers highlighting Parrott’s voices in Annapolis on domestic violence legislation and other measures to protect women. Parrott also expressed sadness about a comment Delaney made in the closing minute of the first half of the forum. When answering a question about how she planned to make an impact during her first term in Congress, she pivoted and took extra time to say that Parrott has embraced “extreme policies” and has spent his tenure as the least effective lawmaker was considered in Annapolis – a comment that drew boos from Parrott’s supporters.
The two are vying to replace three-term U.S. Representative David Trone (D), who gave up the seat to run unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate. The 6th District covers part of northern Montgomery County, then runs from Frederick County all the way west to Garrett County in the westernmost reaches of the state.
It is by far the most competitive U.S. House district in the state, with highly conservative districts and more traditionally Democratic territory. The most recent public poll showed the two candidates within the margin of error, although Parrott, who had been the Republican Party’s nominee for three consecutive election cycles, had a narrow lead. Most independent political handicappers believe the seat will likely remain in Democratic hands this election, but that the seat is competitive enough that both parties are beginning to pour additional resources into the race.
Delaney has tried more than a few times to cast himself as a Democrat in the mold of Trone — an active, moderate and conscientious member of Congress who reaches every corner of the district (Delaney’s husband, former three-term Rep. John Delaney , who was in the audience at Sunday’s forum, is the predecessor of Trone).
But Parrott noted that while living in Hagerstown — “the center of the neighborhood” — Delaney, a Potomac resident, “has to drive 20 minutes from her home to the edge of the neighborhood in Gaithersburg.”
“You have someone who lives in the district, who knows the district, who is invested in the district,” Parrott said, referring to himself.
Delaney countered that she lived just outside the district boundaries until the final round of redistricting in late 2021.
“I was close to the neighborhood and then the neighborhood line moved,” she says. “I didn’t.”
Delaney continued, “I think it’s important that you understand the district and you understand Washington…I think it’s important that you respond and show up everywhere.”
In the first part of the forum — organizers from the college and the League of Women Voters were careful not to call it a debate — the two candidates differed on a range of issues, including immigration, the economy, gun safety, artificial intelligence, health healthcare policy and foreign affairs, although much less bitterly than during the last minutes of the forum.
Delaney accused former President Donald Trump and the House Republican Party of brokering a bipartisan compromise on immigration reform that was enacted in the Senate, and said she favored more investment in border security. But Parrott ridiculed the suggestion that it was a bipartisan measure — even though a conservative senator from Oklahoma was one of the architects — saying, “We can’t talk about the illegal aliens coming into our country until we stop the flow of illegal aliens.” . enter our country.” He also pledged to work to block federal funding for “sanctuary counties” that protect undocumented immigrants.
Both candidates also touted their professional backgrounds and temperament, and both said they would prioritize infrastructure improvements for the large and diverse district if elected.
Parrott described himself as a professional engineer who enjoyed solving problems, while Delaney called himself “a candidate with common sense and common ground” at least a half-dozen times. She also discussed her work in the Biden administration and as director and board member at Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization that aims to explore how media and technology impact the health and well-being of children.
“I am different from Mr. Parrott in that I will not use inflammatory language,” she said in her own closing remarks, just before Parrott’s.
The candidates will face off at least one more time, at a forum sponsored by the Washington County Chamber of Commerce. The event will take place on October 16 at 7am
