ICYMI: Trone Senate Run Moves MD-06

In case you missed it, following David Trone’s entrance into the race for Maryland senate race, MD-06 has moved toward Republicans, creating another open-seat headache for national Democrats to defend. 

Trone Senate Run Moves MD-06 From Solid To Likely Democrat
The Cook Political Report
May 4, 2023 

As anticipated, wealthy Total Wine & More founder and Democratic Rep. David Trone entered the open Maryland Senate contest on Thursday, opening up his western 6th Congressional District. The seat spans ethnic melting pot suburbs of outer Montgomery County, fast-growing exurban Frederick County and rural, conservative Western Maryland. Although Democrats retain an edge, the right kind of Republican could still force them to take it seriously in 2024.

Although Joe Biden carried the current 6th District 54%-44% in 2020, it’s still the most competitive seat in the state. […]

But Democrats have been able to rely on Trone’s gargantuan wealth to keep the 6th CD off their worry list. In 2022, Trone outspent Parrott $10.5 million to $1.1 million (including $9.9 million in self-funding), flooding the Washington airwaves with ads touting his work combating the opioid crisis. That’s helped mask the seat’s underlying DNA: Hogan romped twice here and back in 2016, the current 6th CD would have voted for Hillary Clinton by just 47%-46%.

After the redraw, 42% of the 6th District’s Democratic voters are in Montgomery County, 39% from Frederick County and 19% from further west. 

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Read more here.