Parrott called Terone on Friday afternoon to concede, which was confirmed by both campaigns, a call that Terone described as “very gracious.”
Tronet’s victory gives Democrats another victory in the still-unresolved battle for control of the U.S. House of Representatives. After Democrats defied expectations to hold on to seats in many tough districts while avoiding a string of dismal surprises in others, such as Maryland’s 6th District, most political analysts see the throne as the favorite, despite the Rotter’s fierce challenge dashed Republican hopes for a big red wave.
The rematch between Trone and Parrott is seen as the most exciting congressional race in Maryland, with Parrott hoping a strong grassroots race and widespread discontent with the economy and President Biden can overwhelm Trone’s vast personal wealth and incumbent dominance.
But after Total Wine & More co-founder Terrone poured more than $12 million into his campaign, he largely took control of Parrott on air, portraying him as an advocate for abortion and other crimes. “Extreme” on social issues, while having a lot of freedom to express his personal mission. Tronet’s massive financial advantage has largely prevented any major investment by Republicans across the country, leaving Parrott to try to succeed with minimal resources. Parrott raised about $800,000 this year.
Trone defeated engineer and longtime Maryland representative Parrott in 2020. But after redistricting emerged as the savior of the 6th district, this year’s race has intensified — thanks in large part to Parrott’s own personal crusade in the opposition party districts in Annapolis. He and several other Republicans won a lawsuit that led to the creation of a new congressional map this year that gave Republicans a chance in western Maryland districts.
But while the region lost some of its bluer DC suburbs, it retained a good chunk of densely populated, dark-blue Montgomery County, with Tronet beating out Parrott, who was in redder but more populous Western Maryland. Where Less is clearly popular, but he can’t close the gap.
After more mail-in ballots were counted and reported, Tronet held a narrow lead in Thursday night’s race, including in purple Frederick County. While there are still thousands to count — especially in Montgomery — his lead is only expected to grow. Parrott acknowledged that was what prompted him to call Troone on Friday to congratulate him.
Despite the loss, Parrott’s campaign found a silver lining, believing that the “extreme partisan gerrymandering” in previous congressional maps had been corrected and that Marylanders must have a “real say” in who they elect to Congress this year.
“While this was not the outcome we wanted, it is not a failure and it is not the end,” Parrott said in a statement. “We unified the Republican Party in Western Maryland. We faced an overwhelming spending disadvantage that scared off Republicans across the country. We fought and won in court, leveling the playing field in this district that the people of the 6th District will forever It will no longer be taken for granted.”
First elected in 2018, Trone has projected a centrist image, hoping to use his business chops in Congress to secure bipartisan deals. “You can’t just pass the messaging bill. That’s not going to do anything. That’s wasting my life,” Thrun told a room of Democratic voters in Gaithersburg last month, before laughing: ” So I go in, and I eat chili cheese dogs with the Republicans. The Democrats — our locker room is mostly veggie burgers.”
In an interview Friday, Tronet said he believes a focus on bipartisanship is key to his victory. He also noted that he believes Biden’s agenda is attracting more voters than polls about his approval ratings suggest, and that he has not shied away from running on Biden’s record. He described major investments in roads, bridges and broadband — which he said are especially important in Western Maryland — as well as investments in clean energy and provisions to reduce prescription drug and health care costs for seniors in the inflationary bill. He appeared in Hagerstown with Biden last month to promote the president’s agenda.
“While Biden’s approval ratings are low and people are talking about it, I think people are starting to realize that he passed an incredible, transformative policy in two years, got three in the House. Majority of votes, no majority in the Senate,” Tronet said. “I ran that record. I ran on the presidential record, and I think voters responded.”
Trone, who became co-chair of a bipartisan task force on mental health and addiction, has devoted much of his work in Congress to addressing his personal issues. His nephew died of a fentanyl-related overdose in 2016, an experience Thrun said gave him hope to lead bipartisan legislation promoting mental health and addiction resources to help those struggling with substance abuse. People seek treatment. He’s also trying to steer the criminal justice system away from putting people in prison as a solution to the drug addiction crisis, which happened to his nephew.
Some of the local allies he partnered with on that mission were featured in emotional campaign ads for the throne. Western Maryland faces its own challenges with the opioid epidemic, especially during the pandemic. “David believed in us,” Kevin Simmers said in one ad. “For everyone with substance use disorder, there is no greater champion than David Tron.”
Trone also featured his backstory as a farmer’s son in many of his commercials. He often tells the story of the foreclosure of his father’s farm, trying to make connections in the region’s rural areas. His work on a number of agricultural issues in Congress helped Troone gain the support of the Maryland Farm Bureau as well as several other current Maryland officials. But some conservative voters remain skeptical. “You see these ads and people think he’s a dodger for the country — that’s not even close,” said James Parris, a Frederick County voter who supported Parrott in a campaign for Cruz last month. said at the rally. “That’s not to say he didn’t work hard and build a business called Total Wine & More, which funded his campaign.”
Many conservative voters said they were excited about Parrott’s contested race because the GOP hasn’t represented this part of the state in a decade. Parrott, one of the most conservative members of the Maryland Legislature, has won over supporters by promising to rein in government spending, close the U.S.-Mexico border, empower parents to educate their children and create a “place where life is protected from the start.” to the end of life. “
Trone’s ad rebuts Parrott’s staunch anti-abortion stance —roe Concerns about abortion rights. Parrott, a social conservative who seeks to repeal legalized same-sex marriage in the state, previously led a proposal for a 20-week abortion ban and said he would support a 15-week ban in Congress.
However, while political analysts argue that overthrowing roe And Parrott’s social conservatism favors the throne on the purple lawn, and they also view Republican gubernatorial candidate Dan Cox as a drag on Parrott, which could dampen excitement among Republicans The excitement was all that was needed to bring Parrott to victory.
Cox lost to Governor-elect Wes Moore (Democrat) by more than 20 points.
Trone said Friday that in his third term, he plans to continue pushing for major investments in mental health, addiction and medical research aid, while also focusing on criminal justice reform.
“We haven’t solved addiction. We haven’t solved the mental health crisis. We have to keep doing more,” he said.
This article has been updated to include Parrott’s statement and Trone’s interview.