ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Maryland U.S. Rep. David Trone has been reelected, defeating Republican Neil Parrott in a rematch that was much closer this time because of changes in the western Maryland district’s boundaries.
Trone, a Democrat, won a third term to the state’s 6th Congressional District after it was redrawn with fewer Democrats than under the state’s previous congressional map due to a successful court challenge by the GOP.
“I am honored and grateful that the people of the 6th District have re-elected me to continue serving them. This victory a reflection of the time we spent in the district, our commitment to constituent services, and our focus on bipartisan solutions for critical issues like mental health and addiction,” he said in a statement.
Trone also said that he had spoken to Parrott and thanked him for his graciousness in conceding the race on Friday.
Parrott confirmed his concession and congratulatory call in a news release.
“I am incredibly grateful for everyone who worked with my family and me on the campaign trail. We have developed many close friendships that we value greatly,” he said.
Trone’s victory preserves the 7-1 advantage Maryland Democrats hold over Republicans in the state’s delegation to the U.S. House.
Trone, who is the wealthy owner of Total Wine & More, spent more than $12 million of his own money on his campaign. That gave him a huge fundraising advantage over Parrott, a state legislator from Washington County.
Trone has focused on issues including opioid addiction, mental health, medical research and criminal justice reform while in office.
A Maryland judge ruled this year that the state’s congressional map approved in December after the latest census was unconstitutional because of partisan gerrymandering.
The lines of the district had long been criticized by the GOP after Democrat John Delaney ousted 20-year incumbent Republican Roscoe Bartlett in 2012 after redistricting a year earlier brought the district into Montgomery County, where there are more Democrats.
Trone beat Parrott by about 20 percentage points in 2020. This time, though, the district was far more favorable to Republicans than it used to be, making the race competitive.
On Friday, Parrott said that the fact that the race was so close showed the “extreme partisan gerrymander” was corrected.
The state’s lone House Republican, Rep. Andy Harris, defeated former state legislator Heather Mizeur in the 1st Congressional District, which includes the Eastern Shore, to win a seventh term.
