CUMBERLAND — Republicans in Western Maryland want to make it clear that they never actually wanted to secede from the state, three years after they first suggested that their rural counties do so.
They claim that state lawmakers’ 2021 plan to join neighboring West Virginia was less of a serious plan and more of a primal cry of frustration at being confined in a state that leans Democratic and a congressional district that pairs them, like roommates, with a wealthy area of suburban Montgomery County that they claim has “different values.”
In addition to feeling like outcasts, they were frustrated by the fact that a densely populated suburb that is both geographically and conceptually far away frequently outvoted them in U.S. House elections.
Although the conservative, isolated counties of Garrett, Allegany, and Washington still feel cut off from most of Maryland, they see the election on November 5 as a crucial chance to elect a representative of their own. One may name it the Revenge of Western Maryland.
Drilling natural gas
Instead of running again, rich Montgomery County Democrat David Trone, the incumbent in the 6th Congressional District, decided to run for the Senate. Analysts predict a close race between Republican Neil Parrott, a former Washington County state delegate running for the seat for the third time in a row, and Montgomery County Democrat April McClain Delaney, the wife of former Representative John Delaney.
Legislators from Western Maryland have occasionally voiced their displeasure with what they consider to be overly onerous regulations from Annapolis. For instance, they protested when the state outlawed hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” a technique for drilling for natural gas, in 2017, claiming that the state was denying the region a possible source of income.
Supporters of the ban pointed to environmental and health issues. A small group of state lawmakers from the three counties wrote to high-ranking West Virginia officials in October 2021 to inquire about the possibility of annexing their westernmost portion of the panhandle and incorporating it into the Mountain State permanently.
Willis, who served as secretary of state in the Democratic administration of former Governor Parris Glendening, stated that the political issue facing Western Maryland is that “they’re not big enough for their own congressional district” and that the region needs to be combined with other areas that might not be as conservative. Willis stated, “All they want is a Republican congressman.”
Candidates from Montgomery County have been winning the 6th District for years by using their personal riches and a Democratic-leaning district layout. According to the poll, the race “will likely be decided” in Frederick County, which has had a sharp increase in population in recent years due to the suburbanization of formerly rural areas, especially among Democrats.
Trone, a Democrat from Montgomery County who spent over $12 million of his own funds to secure a third term in 2022, is absent, which helps Republicans’ chances in the 6th District. He chose to run for the U.S. Senate seat that Democratic Senator Ben Cardin had abandoned, but he lost to Prince George’s County executive Angela Alsobrooks in the May primary.
Potomac, which has gated mansions and a median household income of $218,710, roughly three to four times higher than the western counties, is home to both Trone, a co-founder of the Total Wine & More retail chain, and his Democratic predecessor in the 6th District, multimillionaire former Rep. John Delaney.
Trone’s successor, communications lawyer McClain Delaney, has called Parrott “extreme” and has focused on women’s safety and abortion rights. During campaign events, Parrott has criticized her for residing in a Potomac neighborhood just beyond the district boundary, claiming to know the area because he is from there.
Parrott lost to Trone twice before, most recently in 2022 by a margin of 54% to 45%. Parrott did not respond to demands for an interview with the Baltimore Sun. The House Freedom Fund, which backs right-wing House candidates including Colorado’s Lauren Boebert and Florida’s Byron Donalds, has contributed money to his campaign.
McClain-Delaney described the district as “a microcosm of America” in an interview. It is suburban, urban, rural, and red and blue. She emphasized that her upbringing has contributed to her understanding of Western Maryland. She grew up in a rural area of Idaho. She declared, “I’m the daughter of a potato farmer.”