Garagiola to ‘seriously consider’ a run for Congress
State Sen. Rob Garagiola, a Montgomery County Democrat, formally announced Thursday that he is considering a run for the U.S. House in the newly drawn 6th Congressional District.
Though not unexpected, Garagiola’s announcement capped a busy first day in what is shaping up to be among the nation’s most competitive House races in 2012. The district is currently held by Republican Rep. Roscoe G. Bartlett, who said this week that he will seek reelection.
“What I have done in Maryland is the same kind of can-do, bi-partisan leadership we need in Washington,” Garagiola, the Senate majority leader, said in a statement. “As someone who has served our country in uniform, I fundamentally believe that we must end the partisan gridlock in Washington and put our country first.”
The announcement came on thee same day that Gov. Martin O’Malley, a Democrat, signed into a law a new congressional map for Maryland that will be in place for the next decade, including the April 3 primary election. The redistricting transforms Bartlett's once conservative stronghold by including Democratic portions of Montgomery and Frederick counties.
The new 6th District, which also includes Maryland's mountainous panhandle, could become among the most competitive and expensive House races in the country, particularly because portions of it now dip into the pricey Washington media market. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report lists the seat as one of 12 GOP-held toss up districts.
Former Montgomery County Councilwoman Duchy Trachtenberg, a Democrat, announced Thursday that she is running for the seat.
Comments
Rob Garagiola's "can-do bipartisanship leadership" is more like a ringing endorsement of big spending liberal governance given his record of offering and supporting tax hikes and anti-jobs legislation:
-Lead sponsor of the gas tax hike proposal of up to 33 cents per gallon
-Key yes vote to 20% sales tax hike, 18% increase to corporate income tax, doubling of cigarette taxes, and new millionaire's tax.
-Voted yes to gay marriage.
-Voted for every O'Malley budget AND for additional spending.
Rob Garagiola is your typical Montgomery County tax-and-spend liberal that is the exact opposite of Western Maryland values. What's worse is that Rob Garagiola seems to think Boyds, Laytonsville, Damascus, Clarksburg, and Poolesville are too conservative for Montgomery County.
Posted by: Brad | October 21, 2011 10:49 AM
Do we want a another elected offical who voted for the dream act in office. remeber this.
Posted by: Joe-Ball | October 22, 2011 7:18 PM