As women in Maryland seek open congressional seats, reproductive rights are at the forefront

FREDERICK, Md. (AP) — In an election that will determine the future of reproductive rights is on the ballot in Maryland and elsewhere around the country, the state’s all-male congressional delegation is expected to attract an influx of women.

It could happen in Maryland’s 6th Congressional District, where Democrat April McClain Delaney is running against conservative Republican Neil Parrott, a former member of the Maryland House of Delegates. They are competing to represent a wide swath of rural Maryland and the wealthier liberal suburbs of Washington, DC

In a year when voters could also elect the nation’s first female president, women are vying for two more open seats in Maryland’s nine-member congressional delegation. The delegation has always consisted exclusively of men Senator Barbara Mikulski retired in 2016but the state has a long history of female officeholders from both parties.

McClain Delaney, a mother of four daughters whose husband previously represented the district, says she wants to protect the reproductive rights of her children and other young people after the terrorist attack 2022 US Supreme Court decision to abolish the constitutional right to abortion and leave those decisions to the states. She previously worked in the Biden administration’s Commerce Department and has focused much of her career on protecting children’s online safety.

“I can’t believe that my mother, my daughters’ grandmother, had more reproductive freedom than she does now,” she said in a recent interview. She said she once experienced an ectopic pregnancy that could have been fatal if restrictive abortion laws limited her access to life-saving medical care.

Meanwhile, Parrott has dismissed questions about reproductive rights during the campaign. He made his Anti-abortion stance clearly during 12 years in the Maryland State House. But now, he says, it’s “really a non-issue” because he doesn’t believe either political party can get enough congressional votes to regulate abortion at the national level – a position similar to that of former President Donald Trump Republican Party presidential candidate.

This approach also reflects recent efforts by other conservatives and anti-abortion movement leaders Difficulty gaining traction with voters in blue-leaning Maryland. The state’s voters will also a Constitutional amendment To enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution.

Parrott, 54, has worked to shift the conversation to friendlier territory by emphasizing his commitment to reducing inflation, creating a stronger economy for middle-class families and curbing illegal immigration. He says his opponent — who lives several miles outside the district in an affluent Washington suburb — is out of touch with the struggles of everyday Americans, including people in the 6th Congressional District.

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives are only required to live in the state they represent.

McClain Delaney has used personal funds to support her campaign and has received support from notable Democrats, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin.

She also far exceeded Parrott’s spending, according to AdImpact, which tracks campaign spending. Since the May 14 primary alone, Democrats have spent more than $600,000 on advertising in the 6th District, compared to just over $30,000 spent by Republicans.

Those numbers aren’t expected to change much between now and Nov. 5, with McClain-Delaney holding a nearly 20-1 advantage in ad spending the rest of the way. Neither candidate has received much support from the national parties or outside groups, a possible indication that both sides view the seat as safely Democratic.

Parrot is a long-time resident of Hagerstown, a small town in western Maryland surrounded by farmland. As a traffic engineer by training, he said he could identify with people struggling with high grocery bills and unaffordable housing.

“I have a story here,” he said. “I served in the community here.”

But McClain Delaney, 60, argues that she is more ideologically aligned with most voters in the 6th District. She calls herself a candidate with “common sense and common ground.” As the daughter of an Idaho potato farmer, she says she can influence Washington politicians to respond to the needs of working families.

McClain Delaney has attacked Parrott’s record in the Maryland House of Representatives, particularly on issues affecting women.

Parrott, in turn, accused McClain Delaney of lying and taking things out of context. In an interview last week, Parrott said he supports abortion rights in cases of rape, incest and when the mother’s life is at risk.

Tensions between the candidates led to heated exchanges in the final minutes of a recent public forum.

“Shame on them,” Parrott said, pointing the finger at McClain Delaney, who denied giving false information, as spectators chanted and cheered.

The House seat was vacated David Tronewho ran for Senate and lost to Angela Alsobrooks in the Democratic primary earlier this year.

The 6th District has not always favored Democrats. She was represented for 20 years by Republican Roscoe Bartlett before McClain Delaney’s husband, John Delaneywon the seat in 2012 after a redistricting that favored Democrats.

Maryland’s congressional delegation currently consists of eight Democrats and one Republican. Three women are vying for open seats this election cycle.

The state senator serves in Maryland’s deep blue 3rd Congressional District. Sarah Elfreth won a crowded Democratic primary. Her main rival was a former U.S. Capitol Police officer Harry Dunnwho defended the US Capitol against rioters on January 6th. In 2018, Elfreth became the youngest woman elected to the State Senate. She is committed to prioritizing reproductive health and affordable child care.

Reproductive freedom is also at the forefront of the U.S. Senate race between former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan and Alsobrooks, a Democrat, is arguing There is too much at stake for women risk losing the Democrats’ narrow Senate majority. She said having more women at the table is a big deal.

“I think it makes our policies more complete,” she said in a recent interview. “And this is a moment that gives us an opportunity to ensure that we include women – mothers, daughters and sisters – in the Senate to ensure that the diversity of lived experiences is represented in this body.”