As he campaigns in the April 28 special general election to replace the late U.S. Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D), former Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D) will simultaneously have to wage a primary campaign for a full term against his two nearest competitors in this week’s special Democratic primary.
Former Maryland Democratic chairwoman Maya Rockeymoore Cummings, the late congressman’s widow, and state Sen. Jill P. Carter (D-Baltimore City) have decided to stay in the regular April 28 primary despite finishing well behind Mfume on Tuesday’s special primary.
Thursday was the last day for candidates who had been on the April congressional ballot to drop out, and three high-profile contenders in the special primary took advantage of that extended deadline. Del. Terri L. Hill (D-Howard) and University of Baltimore Law School professor F. Michael Higginbotham withdrew from the race on Thursday; state House Majority Whip Talmadge Branch (D-Baltimore City) exited Wednesday.
Hill finished fourth in the special primary race with 7.5% of the vote; Higginbotham placed fifth, with 4.5%. Branch took 1.1%.
“We fell short on Tuesday, but I still believe we were successful,” Hill said in a statement Wednesday evening. “Our message of a brighter future connected with the voters we spoke with across the district – we just simply ran out of time. I am extremely happy that I ran. I met so many incredible people on this campaign who energized me with their stories and affirmed my service with their faith in me.”
Higginbotham, a novice candidate who spent more than $500,000 of his own money on the special primary, issued a statement endorsing Mfume over conservative commentator Kimberly Klacik (R) in the April 28 special general election, but said he was not prepared to make an endorsement in the regular primary on the same day.
“Many are exceptionally well qualified,” Higginbotham said, adding that he planned to remain active in local politics.
Mfume took 42.8% of the vote in Tuesday’s special primary. Rockeymoore Cummings took 17.1% and Carter won 16.1%. Both are counting on the extra time, and the anticipated broader electorate that will come out for the presidential primary and city elections in Baltimore, benefiting their candidacies.
Josh Kurtz
Founding editor
Founding Editor Josh Kurtz is a veteran chronicler of Maryland politics and government. He began covering the State House in 1995 for The Gazette newspapers, and has been writing about state and local politics ever since. He was an editor at Roll Call, the Capitol Hill newspaper, for eight years, and for eight years was the editor of E&E Daily, which covers energy and environmental policy on Capitol Hill. For 6 1/2 years Kurtz wrote a weekly column on state politics for Center Maryland and has written for several other Maryland publications as well. Kurtz regularly gives speeches and appears on TV and radio shows to discuss Maryland politics.
Related Articles
District 3 Democratic forum puts all of the candidates on equal footing, at least for an evening. Hometown lawmaker Elfreth wins the straw poll.
In the legislation, anyone who opposes the law can decide not to participate, including patients, physicians, and pharmacists.
With less than a month till the May 14 primary, fundraising, endorsements, ad wars in the race to replace Rep. John Sarbanes (D) is at a fevered pitch. Forum set for Wednesday evening in Annapolis.
Creative Commons Attribution