Mfume Announces Run in MD

by fng, Mon Mar 14, 2005 at 12:53:16 PM EST

AP is reporting that former President of the NAACP, Kweisi Mfume, has announced a bid for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Paul Sarbanes.

Sarbanes announced Friday that he would not seek a sixth term in 2006.

While it pains me slightly, Faux has a solid run down of Dem and GOP hopefuls.

Other Democratic candidates that will likely announce whether or not they are joing the race today or tomorrow include Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, Rep. Chris VanHollen, Rep. Al Wynn, Rep. Ben Cardin, and Rep. Elijah Cummings.

GOP possibilities include Lt. Governor Michael Steele, Rep. Wayne Gilchrest, and State Sentor E.J. Pipkin. Pipkin failed in his 2004 race against Maryland's other Senator, Barbara Mikulski.

Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley and Montgomery County Executive Doug Duncan, the presumed primary challengers for the Governor's race, have both stated they will not run for Sarbanes' seat.

[UPDATE I] Ehrlich and Steele contacted by the "powers that be" in Washington about jumping in the race for Sarbanes seat. "We were called by the powers that be yesterday [Friday] in Washington, and I have yet to talk to them. Mike has yet to talk to them," Ehrlich said on Stateline with the Governor.

[UPDATE II] State GOP Chair John Kane and Rep. Wayne Glichrest (R-01) are not considering running for the seat per Hotline: ""Kane said he himself would not be running" (Nitkin/Shaw, Baltimore Sun, 3/12). Kane said 3/11 that Steele prefers to seek re-election, with an eye toward running for GOV in '10. Rep. Wayne Gilchrest (R-01) "has also taken himself out of consideration" (Roll Call, 3/14).

[UPDATE III] From the Boston Globe this morning we have two more exploratory committees: "But two of Maryland's Democratic U.S. congressmen, C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger and Chris Van Hollen, spoke up after Mfume's announcement Monday to say they are forming exploratory panels."




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True 'dat (3.00 / 1)

Excellent point Craig. I think that Maryland truly represents an opportunity in that regard with Mfume, Steele, Wynn, and Cummings as possible primary challengers.

Also, you can't forget that E.J. Pipkin is not a rabid partisan. He is a GOP State Senator, but has been a moderate voice in that party more interested in solving problems than getting caught up in the party struggles in Annapolis. He won his seat from a longtime Democratic State Senator by building his local credentials as a local landowner on the Eastern Shore in opposition to rampant dredging and filling in the Chesapeake Bay. He did make his money as a Wall Street bond trader.

I wouldn't vote for him, nor would I support him in any real way, but to have candidates like him in the race adds more than a D v. R quality to the race. Have to caveat that I was disappointed in the tack he took against Mikulski, but he's certainly not the average GOP Senate candidate. Well like in Annapolis by both Dems and Repubs.

"into your illusion, i make my intrusion"
by fng on Mon Mar 14, 2005 at 01:29:36 PM EST

It's time for another black U.S. Senator (none / 0)

I'm in Georgia, but I might be convinced to support Kwiesi Mfume, just to get another African-American U.S. Senator.

I think the U.S. Senate should look like America.

by andrewalker08 on Mon Mar 14, 2005 at 01:42:56 PM EST

clear the field (none / 0)

He's got my support.
by Jerome Armstrong on Mon Mar 14, 2005 at 01:43:43 PM EST

Re: clear the field (none / 0)

So it's OK to clear the field when a liberal powerhouse steps in?
by ChgoSteve on Mon Mar 14, 2005 at 01:47:06 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: clear the field (none / 0)

lol, it was a joke.
by Jerome Armstrong on Mon Mar 14, 2005 at 03:04:18 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: clear the field (none / 0)

Jerome, you forgot to include the <sarcasm>post</sarcasm> tag there...
"into your illusion, i make my intrusion"
by fng on Mon Mar 14, 2005 at 03:14:08 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: clear the field (none / 0)

OK.
But I bet Van Hollen gets in and wins.
by ChgoSteve on Mon Mar 14, 2005 at 03:48:12 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: clear the field (none / 0)

He'll have to work for it. Plays nice in Congress, and obviously a great candidate to beat Morella. But he beat Morella in a suburban Washington District. No guarantee of much Baltimore City support at all, and the sleeper county in Maryland politics these days is Baltimore County. Those folks won't just vote for CVH because he's a pretty face with good policy, he'll have to do more convincing. Not so with Mfume, who has both Baltimore City/County, and suburban Washington suburb (Prince George's county is majority black) support built in from his Congressional & NAACP days.
"into your illusion, i make my intrusion"
by fng on Mon Mar 14, 2005 at 03:58:00 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: clear the field (none / 0)

Hold on there fellas. Can't clear the field in this one and rail against the machine for clearing the field in others. Yes, the motivation in PA is vastly different, but the end result is the same: annointing one candidate to spare the Democratic party the expense and mud-slinging of a long primary.

I agree that Mfume makes a spectacular candidate with both political and personal bona fides that are hard to beat. I'd remind you all that I feel Chuck Pannachio has the same level of qualifications in my mind.

Let the field get as big as it can. Let the Democratic party in Maryland spend over a year telling Marylanders what the party stands for. We'll all be better off for the fight.

"into your illusion, i make my intrusion"
by fng on Mon Mar 14, 2005 at 01:48:17 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Mfume (none / 0)

What's his reputation in Maryland? I think it would be awesome if the former head of the NAACP was elected to the U.S. Senate. It would say a lot about how far this country has come, especially since he has a "funny name."
by Covin on Mon Mar 14, 2005 at 03:37:15 PM EST

Re: Mfume (none / 0)

I think it is good. CNN.com mentioned he turned the NAACP around after joining the organization when it was in turmoil. He was a five term congressmen from Maryland before he became the NAACP head, so he does have some credibility when it comes to D.C. politics. He's a formidable candidate.
by jj32 on Mon Mar 14, 2005 at 03:45:54 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Possible Baggage? (none / 0)

I couldn't find anything with a quick Google search, but IIRC early in Mfume's Congressional career there were articles that indicated he had multiple marriages and some kids between marriages. Mfume's a good campaigner and articulate speaker, but his personal situation may be a problem. Obviously, I'm a little hazy on the details, so perhaps someone can provide the facts.

Whatever the circumstances, Mfume will be weakened if there are other black candidates to split his base, but if there are 5 or more candidates, the white vote would be spintered, too. Could be quite a cavalary charge.
 

by SLinVA on Mon Mar 14, 2005 at 09:11:55 PM EST
[ Parent ]

I dont know about Steele running (none / 0)

I dont see him winning the Senate seat especially against Mfume, although he might take some African Americans. In other words, he wouldnt be a 'slam dunk' to get the Senate seat. And if he does leave the ticket, he makes Ehlrich even more vulnerable. Kind of a tough position for Steele :).  
by jj32 on Mon Mar 14, 2005 at 03:43:27 PM EST

fng... (none / 0)

thanks for letting me know i duplicated your efforts.  i didn't see your diary - for some reason i can't get the front page to display more than 10 diaries - GRR.  i've deleted the duplicate.
Visit us at TexasKAOS, where we're taking Texas back!
by annatopia on Mon Mar 14, 2005 at 04:05:28 PM EST

Re: fng... (none / 0)

No worries. I was just going to reply that Derek (Dem Party Comm. Dir.) is absolutely right. He, I, and several other Dem stretegist/operative/party/whatever you want to call them folks were sitting around Friday afternoon and couldn't really come up with a large list of people who were not able to consider a serious run.

Looks like O'Malley, Duncan, and Hoyer are the only three out right now.

"into your illusion, i make my intrusion"
by fng on Mon Mar 14, 2005 at 04:08:09 PM EST
[ Parent ]

sounds like... (none / 0)

...marylanders have an overabundance of great candidates. thanks for the informative post & comments.  =)
Visit us at TexasKAOS, where we're taking Texas back!
by annatopia on Mon Mar 14, 2005 at 04:43:53 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Mfume has a tough road ahead of him (none / 0)

I am glad that Kweisi Mfume is running for the Senate, but being aligned with the NAACP in a predominately white state isn't going to help him much. Also Albert Wynn and Elijah Cummings are also planning to run, which makes the black vote in Maryland for Mfume even harder to get. Also, a lot of whites, although they won't come out and say it, will not vote for Mfume, Wynn or Cummings because of color. That's not racist, it's just the facts. Chris Van Hollen or Ben Cardin have to be the favorites. Look for one of them to win the Democratic primary.
by liebermanlives on Mon Mar 14, 2005 at 07:44:23 PM EST

Re: Mfume has a tough road ahead of him (none / 0)

I doubt either Wynn or Cummings runs.  Even if they did, Mfume would do better than either in the primary.  Right now, it looks more likely that Mfume might be the lone AA candidate in a crowded field-a recipe for a cakewalk. Mfume's problem comes in the general when the GOP runs either Steele, the "acceptable" AA candidate for exurban voters or gets Fratboy to forsake a try for a second term.  Either way, the GOP wins.

If the GOP nominates the usual Pipkin-type, any Dem wins.  

by howie14 on Mon Mar 14, 2005 at 10:15:43 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Mfume has a tough road ahead of him (none / 0)

Wynn is not running. Talked to his CoS yesterday. Decision was made over the weekend, before Mfume announced.
"into your illusion, i make my intrusion"
by fng on Tue Mar 15, 2005 at 10:27:56 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Mfume has a tough road ahead of him (none / 0)

Sorry to serial post, but I just reread the Steele bit. Steele was able to help Ehrlich with AA suburban voters, but IMO he won't have that same pull as his own man on the ticket.
"into your illusion, i make my intrusion"
by fng on Tue Mar 15, 2005 at 10:30:32 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Mfume has a tough road ahead of him (none / 0)

You're right, but Steele will be the less threatening choice to many white voters.  SoccerMom will vote Steele before Mfume, especially when the GOP plays up Mfume's past prior to becoming Mfume.  It's unjust, but it's also reality.
by howie14 on Wed Mar 16, 2005 at 08:53:53 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Mfume has a tough road ahead of him (none / 0)

True. Most of the CW thats been running around Annapolis circles now is that Mfume and one other 'liberal' candidate (CVH?) split the left vote and a moderate (Ruppersberger is named most often) cobbles a coalition of the remainder to get through to the general.
"into your illusion, i make my intrusion"
by fng on Wed Mar 16, 2005 at 10:32:14 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Mfume has a tough road ahead of him (none / 0)

I'd have to say that I think Cardin is the least likely of Congressman not named Hoyer and Wynn (who are not running) to win the primary. Mfume pulls too much Baltimore support away from Cardin.
"into your illusion, i make my intrusion"
by fng on Tue Mar 15, 2005 at 10:29:24 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Keyes (none / 0)

isn't Alan Keyes from Maryland - let's get him to go 0 for 2 in Senate races.
by zappatero on Tue Mar 15, 2005 at 11:47:05 AM EST

Re: Keyes (none / 0)

Better than that: he's already run twice before in Maryland. This would nake him 0-4.
by craverguy on Tue Mar 15, 2005 at 12:00:09 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Mfume's run (none / 0)

Just joined up here after being a regular reader for some time. I wanted to point out a few things and note some others:

  1. Re: Mfume's "baggage." Mfume has six sons, and has supported them all throughout their lives. He doesn't shy away from the fact that they were born out of wedlock during his troubled years -- it is detailed in his autobiography, "No Free Ride." In this, he's followed the old political axiom, "Hang a lantern on your problem."

  2. As it has been noted, Wynn's not running, and Cardin has been loathe to run for higher office, even when he had a chance to be a front runner for the race for governor back in 2002. In addition, Cardin and Mfume have been very good friends for many years, and Cardin is, if anything, a loyal friend. If the Dems win back the House (unlikely), Cardin stands to have a very powerful seat in Ways and Means.

  3. The only serious contenders I can see on the Dem side against Mfume are Dutch Ruppersberger and Chris Van Hollen. Hollen may be wary of ticking off his Montgomery County base, as they just elected him barely two years ago in the race and the district designed to remove Connie Morella. Two and a half years isn't a lot of seasoning for someone to decide he now deserves to be in the Senate, and he's not well known outside of his county. The same can be said of Dutch, except he probably has less reins on him in his county than Van Hollen, as he's not known much in the DC suburbs. Neither has the profile Mfume has, although both have more money in the bank.

As for the GOP -- well, they better hope that Steele runs (right now he's saying he's not; that he wants to run for governor after a -- HA HA! --  second Ehrlich term). After Steele, there's second tier, like Pipken, and then third tier, like Alan Keyes. sadly, perennial pathetic also-ran Ross Pierpont has finally given up the ghost, saying he's finally too old to run.

Them's the apples at this stage of the game.

by politicalanimal on Tue Mar 15, 2005 at 04:32:34 PM EST

Re: Mfume's run (none / 0)

Robin Ficker, "My Friend Ficker" in one long ago campaign, is still around isn't he?
by howie14 on Wed Mar 16, 2005 at 08:56:25 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Mfume has a tough road ahead of him (none / 0)

Let's not forget that in MD politics, its traditionally all about winning Baltimore City (predominantly AA) and the DC suburbs (Prince George's County with the wealthiest AA population in America and Montgomery County, which is pretty liberal).  Charles county's AA pop is also growing rapidly with people leaving DC.

If Mfume can drive turnout, he has to be the favorite.

by Read Black N Green on Wed Mar 16, 2005 at 05:06:44 PM EST

Re: Mfume has a tough road ahead of him (none / 0)

Not anymore. KKT tried the City/MoCo/PG route and lost, badly.

You need closer margins in the Baltimore suburbs as well. Baltimore County is where statewide races will be won or lost in 2006.

"into your illusion, i make my intrusion"
by fng on Wed Mar 23, 2005 at 12:44:21 PM EST
[ Parent ]


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