Donna F. Edwards, the former congresswoman for Maryland’s 4th District, has pulled in more than $600,000 in donations since announcing her bid in January to regain her old seat — leading the field this quarter in what is expected to be the state’s most competitive Democratic primary.
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Edwards’s total was more than twice the haul of her nearest competitor, Glenn Ivey, in roughly the same period. But Ivey, former Prince George’s County state’s attorney, finished the first quarter with more cash on hand, setting him up to compete with Edwards in what marks something of a congressional rematch.
Several high-profile Prince George’s figures entered the race after the incumbent, Rep. Anthony G. Brown (D), opted to run for Maryland attorney general. But Del. Jazz Lewis’s exit from the race last week has shaken things up, clearing the field a bit more for Edwards and Ivey. Angela Angel, a former Prince George’s delegate, is also seeking the nomination.
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Edwards has raised about $625,000 since Jan. 20 and has $460,000 on hand heading into the last three months of the race ahead of the primary election July 19. Ivey pulled in $298,000 from donors this period and has $583,000 on hand, thanks in part to $150,000 he loaned to the campaign, according to the latest campaign finance filing.
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Another boost for Ivey came from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, long one of the most influential pro-Israel lobbies in Washington. AIPAC’s political action committee facilitated more than $158,000 in donations to him — an early indication that Israel policy may be a factor in the race. AIPAC did not itself donate to Ivey but acted as a conduit for donors.
Marshall Wittmann, a spokesman for AIPAC, said in an email that “our activists are strongly supporting Glenn Ivey and clearly appreciate his support for the US-Israel relationship.”
The $158,000 makes up more than one-fifth of Ivey’s contributions this election cycle, even though Ivey was not listed in AIPAC’s first round of “featured candidates” last month. Del. Julian Ivey (D-Prince George’s), Ivey’s son, who is helping his father’s campaign, told The Washington Post that Ivey was grateful for the support he had received this past quarter, including from AIPAC, and confirmed that Ivey is seeking the organization’s endorsement.
AIPAC’s assistance to Edwards’s top opponent is notable considering a clash over Israel policy during Edwards’s first term in 2009, when AIPAC allies were angered by her decision to vote “present” on a resolution “recognizing Israel’s right to defend itself against attacks from Gaza.” The vote and several other Edwards actions divided some in the Jewish community and resurfaced in her failed 2016 Senate bid.
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The liberal Jewish group J Street, however, endorsed Edwards last week, noting her long support for a two-state solution in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as well as her support for the Iran nuclear deal. The organization’s support for Edwards dates to her first campaign, when she became one of the first candidates J Street ever endorsed, and she later joined the organization on a fact-finding trip to Israel and the Palestinian territories.
Edwards “was one of the first Members of Congress to stand proudly and publicly with J Street and the pro-Israel, pro-peace movement, promoting more effective American leadership and a better future for both Israelis and Palestinians,” J Street said in a statement. “Now more than ever, we need her knowledgeable, experienced and principled voice in Congress.”
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Ivey first explored running against Edwards in 2009. He ultimately launched a challenge in 2011 and was considered a top contender, including with support from local and national pro-Israel groups. But he abandoned that bid months before the 2012 primary, citing fundraising issues. He then ran in a primary to succeed Edwards in 2016 but lost to Brown.
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After redistricting, the majority-Black 4th District is almost entirely in Prince George’s County, where the candidates are focusing on economic development, closing racial disparities in access to health care and opportunity, and lowering the cost of living.
Angel, the former Prince George’s delegate, raised roughly $54,000 and has nearly $100,000 on hand because of a $45,000 loan, according to her campaign finance report. She has said she plans to leverage her background as an activist and her experience working in policy in local and state government to build a grass-roots coalition.
Elsewhere in Maryland, Rep. David Trone (D), the owner of Total Wine & More, reported putting $2 million of his own personal cash into his campaign coffers after the final redistricting map signed by Gov. Larry Hogan (R) earlier this month made his 6th District significantly more competitive. The top fundraiser among potential Republican challengers, Del. Neil Parrott (R-Washington), has $261,000 on hand.
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Democrats had their eye on Maryland’s 1st District, home to Rep. Andy Harris (R), after an earlier iteration of the congressional map passed by the Democratic-led General Assembly put it in play. But after a judge struck down the map for partisan gerrymandering, the General Assembly reversed those changes, leaving a comfortable red district in place.
Former delegate Heather Mizeur, the top Democratic challenger in the 1st District, raked in an additional $372,000, for a total of more than $1.7 million since she began campaigning last year. She now has $1.1 million on hand. Mizeur’s top primary competitor, Dave Harden, who has pitched himself as comparatively moderate, raised about $78,000 this period.