Editor’s note: This story was originially published at 9:52 a.m. on April 22, 2024. It was updated at 3:18 p.m. on April 22, 2024 to include the information that candidate Destiny Drake West had to miss the forum because she gave birth to a son after an emergency hospitalization over the weekend.
Democratic candidates for the Maryland Congressional District 6 seat weren’t afraid to challenge each other and make jabs at campaign practices and policy views during a forum at Rocky Hill Middle School in Clarksburg on Sunday, marking the final weeks till the May 14 primary election.
Top fundraiser April McClain Delaney, an attorney with a telecommunications policy background, was notably absent from the event, and Del. Joe Vogel (D-Dist. 17) took the opportunity to draw attention to her absence during his closing statement.
“The perceived front runner in this race, the person who’s raised the most money… wrote themselves a check for $550,000 to fund their campaign,” Vogel said. “Today, they’re in Ireland. .. They weren’t willing to show up at the only forum hosted by clubs of color and that to me is hurtful as a resident of this district.”
The forum was hosted by the Association of Black Democrats of Montgomery County, Latino Democratic Club of Montgomery County and the Coalition of Asian Pacific American Democrats of Maryland in partnership with the Montgomery County Democratic Party. Cheyanne Daniels, a politics and race reporter at The Hill, moderated the conversation.
McClain Delaney’s campaign responded to Vogel’s comments in an email to MoCo360 Sunday night.
“April returned today after a two-day visit with her family in support of her husband receiving an award from his alma mater. April had a longstanding family commitment that prevented her from attending the forum,” McClain Delaney communications director Susan Kenedy wrote. “If Joe Vogel wants to politicize her role as a wife and mother, he can jump into the gutter alone. Her fight is to take on MAGA Republicans and protect choice. April has done over a dozen forums and looks forward to many more.”
McClain Delaney is set to be in Gaithersburg Monday morning for a press conference announcing endorsements from U.S. Rep Steny Hoyer (D-Dist. 5) and former Frederick County Executive Jan Gardner.
In addition to Vogel, other candidates in attendance included Peter Choharis, an international lawyer; George Gluck, a former teacher and environmentalist; Ashwani Jain, a former Obama administration employee; Del. Lesley Lopez (D-Dist. 39); and Montgomery County Councilmember Laurie-Anne Sayles (D-At-large).
But other candidates were visibly absent. Hagerstown Mayor Takesha Martinez, protective security officer Adrian Petrus and former U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development employee Destiny Drake West had placeholders at their seats, but were not in attendance Sunday.
A representative from West’s campaign told MoCo360 via email that West had to miss the event at the last minute because she gave birth to a son after an emergency hospitalization over the weekend.
When it came to the issues facing the district, the Democratic candidates largely shared similar views, but differed on how policy should be constructed to address the issues.
Sayles said the overturning of Roe v. Wade could best be addressed by starting with electing a woman.
“I don’t need a man to speak for me. We’ve allowed them to speak more and look at what has happened,” Sayles said.
Lopez, the president of the General Assembly’s Legislative Women’s Caucus, pointed to her work as part of the group of legislators who secured a reproductive rights package signed into law by Gov. Wes Moore (D) last year.
She and Vogel both voiced their support of the federal Reproductive Health Protection Act.
“Next we have to address access. You can have a right all day long, but if there are barriers to access, that right is cut [down],” Lopez said.
Choharis, who has led a quieter campaign than some of the other candidates in the race, said he was concerned a national law to protect abortion could easily be overturned by a Republican majority.
When Vogel challenged him on whether he’d vote for the Reproductive Health Protection Act, Choharis didn’t directly answer.
“I am supportive of restoring Roe v. Wade,” Choharis said, before the moderator moved to a different topic.
When asked about the ways in which the United States should be involved in the Israel-Hamas war, candidates were divided. Most advocated for humanitarian aid and a two-state solution and called for the release of Israeli hostages, but Jain was the only candidate to directly call for a ceasefire.
“We can support our ally Israel’s right to defend itself against terrorists, but also call out [Israeli president Benjamin] Netanyahu’s apartheid regime of ethnic cleansing,” Jain said.
Gluck shared that he has participated in protests against Netanyahu and the Israeli government in Tel Aviv and Washington, D.C., but that it’s ultimately Israel’s issue to tackle and not something for the U.S. to have strong involvement in.
“Hopefully everyone over there will work it all out,” Gluck said.
Later, Choharis challenged Jain, who compared Israel to Russia and said that the United States needed to offer similar support to the Palestinian people as it has to the Ukrainian people.
“Israel is a functioning democracy in the region which has opposition politics and a free press. Your comments are way off the mark,” Choharis said.
Jain retorted, “there is a war crime happening and we need to stand up and have all the solutions to fight that.”
On the topic of climate change, Vogel, 27, said that as the youngest candidate in the race, he takes the issue personally and sees it as an existential threat. He said this is a moment to explore how to grow the economy through addressing climate change.
“We don’t have to choose between climate innovation and economic development. We can do both,” Vogel said.
Choharis shared similar views on the partnerships between climate and business.
“It’s crucial that we try to develop a climate friendly technology,” Choharis said.
Jain said he supports electrifying all new cars, trucks and buses by the year 2035, as well as having a roof solar power mandate for commercial buildings.
As an environmentalist, Gluck said it’s important for politicians to lead by example in their own lives. He cited his own use of electric vehicles.
Lopez touted her support of the Climate Change Solutions Act in the General Assembly this past session, and said it’s important for the government to partner both with the private sector and with other countries to address pollution as a global crisis.
Sayles said she’d like to build off of the County Council’s environmental policies.
“We need to invest in infill development and transition out of the incinerator in this district,” Sayles said. “Water and air quality are priorities for me.”
Early voting begins May 2, and mail-in ballot voting is already underway.