O’DonnellForCongress looks to unseat a 32-year Democratic incumbent
One is the most powerful Republican in the state’s House of Delegates; the other is the second ranking Democrat in the congressional House of Representatives. One is a blue collar, Navy brat, who was a hands-on employee of a nuclear power plant and the youngest of seven children; while the other, a white collar privileged attorney who has been in elective office since Martin Luther King Jr. was marching on Washington with a dream. One is the Minority Leader; the other is the Minority Whip. However, both will seemingly be vying for the same votes, by the same voters of Maryland’s 5th Congressional district come November 6th – that is, if they can both successfully secure their party’s nomination in the April 3rd Primary Elections.
Delegate Anthony ‘Tony’ O’Donnell was born on March 7, 1961 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania where he spent most of his adolescent years. He graduated from a Naval Nuclear Propulsion school before going on to earn a Bachelor’s Degree from Regents College and serving his country in the United States Navy – earning a rank of E-6. He later worked at a local nuclear power plant and was first elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 1994, riding the wave of Republican success that year nationally following the Gingrich-led Contract with America. After receiving only 32-votes more than his opponent that year, Delegate O’Donnell has since secured voter mandates in each election year following, climbing the ranks of the local GOP based on his hard work and bi-partisan nature, along with his natural charisma and folksy down-to-earth mentality. However, he may now be facing the hardest test of his battle-tested career, as he looks to unseat Congressman Steny Hoyer; undoubtedly the most influential and powerful Democrats in Maryland – if not throughout the country. But according to Delegate O’Donnell, he welcomes the challenge!
“You know Hassan, I recently saw a Cooke Report poll that had this race at plus-eleven, essentially being a safe Democratic seat in the upcoming elections,” said O’Donnell. “However, I’d be remised if I weren’t to challenge Congressman Hoyer, in order to offer my constituents an alternative to this clearly out-of-touch Congress, where their approval rating barely breaks 10%.” And it is that sentiment alone that has many challengers believing that this is the year, if any at all, that even the most battle-tested and decades long incumbents may have a hell of a time trying to get re-elected? “Why should any voter want more of the same with the sorry leadership we have witnessed from both parties,” questioned political analyst Shaun Louis. “In a normal election cycle, I’d say O’Donnell doesn’t have a chance in hell of beating Hoyer; yet, with the national mood being soured the way it is currently, along with the recent gaffe Hoyer made a Democratic ‘Unity’ luncheon concerning one of his own, who’s to say the very likeable Delegate can’t pull it off?”
And that is exactly what the humbled state delegate is counting on – that the normally loyal Democratic base, especially that of the most taken for granted group amongst democrats, African American voters; will take advantage of a viable alternative and vote Hoyer out of office. “White liberals take the black vote for granted,” said one white Maryland business owner, who isn’t the only person, or race, to believe exactly that. “I mean it doesn’t take a rocket science to see that the Democratic Party in Maryland could care less about African Americans, even though we make up over half of their voting base,” said Melanie Barnes, the new Chairwoman of the Independent Movement Political Action Committee. “I mean look at how they took us for granted in the congressional redistricting process, where they alienated our population increase, and affording us another minority-majority district, for selfish partisan means to eliminate a Republican seat – Congressman Roscoe Bartlett from the 6th district.”
She also points to the state redistricting map, drawn up by Governor O’Malley’s redistricting committee, and Democrats; which only gives blacks 12-senate districts instead of the 14 deserving of the most loyal participants in the party. “Not to mention the fact that we have yet to witness the Party back a black for statewide office in Maryland – ever; as it took for the Republican Party to nominate a black man by the name of Michael Steele as Lt. Governor in 2002, before Democrats even considered Anthony Brown in 2006!”
And when discussing the matter of race with Delegate O’Donnell, he said he was not surprised in the least when Congressman Hoyer took the stage in the Democratic luncheon and endorsed his friend Ben Cardin over his challenger, black state senator C. Anthony Muse – even though no endorsements are suppose to be made prior to the Primary Elections. “It’s what the Democrats have done for ages, and people should realize that there is another party relevant in Maryland; and we have members understanding of their issues, which are primarily the same issues all Marylanders face; jobs, taxes, education and housing,” said O’Donnell, who says his less than privileged background makes him a more suitable a candidate for congress, especially during the current economic hardships Americans are facing. “Look, my wife Lori and I face tough decisions daily on how we are going to feed our family, provide an adequate education for our children, and grandchildren; while at times it seems fruitless when we are living within our economic means, yet congress is not? Something has to change in order for this country to get back to the great, worldwide leader we once were!”
And to that end, Delegate O’Donnell says that he wants to focus on employment opportunities first, while also looking at ways to reform the regulatory process, reducing our trade deficit and working in a bi-partisan fashion to begin to strengthen the freedoms that made this country the greatest country on earth. “I love this country, and believe we can do better; however this ultra-partisanship we are currently witnessing in Congress, from both parties, won’t get us to where we need to be for the success of our children’s future,” said the compassionate delegate.
“Look, Admiral Mike Mullen said it best when he said recently that the greatest threat to our national security right now is our growing debt, and the creation of jobs; or lack thereof. Government can’t be in the business of creating jobs and bailing every single failing business out based on what politicians think. We have to begin to get creative and start to bring back manufacturing jobs that have seemed to all but have disappeared, lower tax rates on businesses, especially that of small businesses who are the backbone and fabric of our society; while eliminating governmental waste. It’s not hard, but we must first must begin to eliminate the career politicians from office who have been in there forever, who have fallen into the pockets of the lobbyists and big business, while ushering in a new class of congress who are willing to roll up their sleeves and get things done for the benefit of the American people, not the party bosses! And I can assure the voters of Maryland’s 5th Congressional District, which is what Tony O’Donnell is ready to do!”
Delegate O'Donnell does face opposition in the upcoming April 3rd Primary Elections, as does Congressman Hoyer; those candidates have been contacted to be featured in this Examiner series entitled 'ValueMyVote2012' as well, they are as follows: Cathy J. Pendleton (D), David Hill (R) and Glenn Morton (R),
For more information on Delegate Anthony O’Donnell and/or O’DonnellForCongress and his race for the 5th Congressional district, please click on the links or email his campaign here.
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