The endorsement competition is heating up in the race for Maryland’s 6th Congressional District with less than two months until the May 14 primary election.
On Tuesday, the National Education Association announced its endorsement of state Del. Joe Vogel (D-Dist. 17) for the Democratic nomination to succeed Rep. David Trone (D), who is running for the U.S. Senate. The organization is the national body overseeing local and state teachers unions, including the Maryland State Education Association and the Montgomery County Education Association.
A press conference was scheduled in Annapolis on Tuesday morning to announce the endorsement but was canceled due to the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge after it was struck early Tuesday by a cargo ship. The organization was set to also announce endorsements of Sarah Elfreth and Johnny Olszewski in the races for the 3rd and 2nd districts, respectively.
“In a time when some extreme politicians are focused on banning books and taking away learning opportunities for students, these leaders have partnered with parents and educators to ensure students can get the one-on-one support they need, keep students and educators safe from gun violence, expand school-based mental health programs, and address educator shortages,” National Education Association President Becky Pringle wrote in a statement in lieu of the previously scheduled press conference.
Among the crowded field of other candidates besides Vogel remaining in the May 14 primary for the Democratic nomination are: former Obama administration official Ashwani Jain, state Del. Lesley Lopez (D-Dist. 39), former U.S. Commerce Department official April McClain Delaney (D), Hagerstown Mayor Tekesha Martinez, Montgomery County Councilmember Laurie-Anne Sayles (D-At-large), and former U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development official Destiny Drake West.
On the Republican side, former state delegate and 2022 GOP gubernatorial nominee Dan Cox, retired Maryland State Trooper Chris Hyser, former state delegate Neil Parrott, Air Force veteran Mariela Roca, Air Force veteran Tom Royals and former state delegate and former teacher Brenda Thiam are all seeking the nomination.
This was the second major endorsement for Vogel in the past few days. On Friday, the Human Rights Campaign, a prominent national LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, announced its support for Vogel.
“As a young changemaker and member of the LGBTQ+ community, Joe will also serve as an essential voice in the U.S. House for what we expect will be a return to a pro-equality majority after the November election,” Reg Calcagno, Human Rights Campaign director of national campaigns, said in a news release.
Vogel also picked up another high-profile endorsement earlier month, receiving a nod from the Sierra Club.
Fellow Democratic candidate McClain Delaney has also received backing from some big names, including former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). McClain Delaney also garnered endorsements from former Democratic candidates Joel Rubin and Geoffrey Grammer when they dropped out of the race earlier this month.
“I’m confident that April will take on the hard issues and fight for us all. April has the vision, values, and integrity that we need right now,” Rubin wrote in a news release announcing his withdrawal. “And crucially, it’s imperative that we Democrats unify behind her to ensure that we keep the seat blue.”
On the Republican side, Roca was endorsed by former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) earlier this month, securing one of the highest profile endorsements on the GOP side of the race.
“Mariela is a strong conservative, an Air Force veteran, and a devoted mother. She is running for Congress to bring down costs for families, secure our border, and fight to protect our unalienable, God-given rights,” Gingrich wrote in a press release.