Democrats growing uneasy over Maryland's 6th district race: reports

WASHINGTON - As early in-person voting in Maryland begins on Thursday, the race to succeed outgoing Rep. David Trone in the state's 6th Congressional District is turning out to be closer than expected. 

April McClain Delaney, the Democratic nominee and former Commerce Department official, is facing Republican Neil Parrott, a former state lawmaker running for the seat for the third time. With Election Day approaching, concerns are mounting on the Democratic side.

"They're suggesting this race is going to be a lot closer than they hoped," Punchbowl News reporter Mica Soellner said during an appearance on The Final 5 with Jim Lokay.

The 6th District, which includes Allegany, Garrett, and Washington Counties in western Maryland, plus Frederick County and part of Montgomery County, has leaned Democratic in recent years but it's no stranger to competitive races. 

Redistricting also made the district friendlier to GOP candidates, although the last elected Republican was former Congressman Roscoe Bartlett, who was defeated in a narrow re-election bid in 2012 by John Delaney. He vacated the seat in 2020 in favor of a short-lived bid for the Democratic presidential nomination.

In this race though, it's his marriage to the current Democratic nominee that some insiders tell Soellner could be an Achilles' heel. 

MORE FROM FOX 5: Early voting in Maryland begins | Where to vote early in Maryland

Citing "senior Democrats," Soellner said that "the biggest complaints I’ve heard are that she’s not putting enough money into her campaign and not out in the district very much. She’s running solely on name ID."

But McClain-Delaney, wife of former Congressman John Delaney, was quick to respond to those criticisms, telling Maryland's Capital News Service, "I run my own race."

Polling in the district has shown a tightening race, with the Parrott campaign trumpeting one survey that shows Parrott with a 45% to 41% lead over Delaney. 

"Parrott is definitely more conservative than other Republicans in Congress," Soellner noted, adding that Parrott has secured major endorsements, including from the entire GOP House leadership. "[House Majority Leader] Steve Scalise will be out campaigning for him next week," she said, signaling that the Republican Party sees this as a potential pickup opportunity.

Delaney's campaign has focused heavily on abortion rights, a key issue for Democrats across the country. To that end, McClain-Delaney's campaign has rolled out ads assailing Parrott's past votes against strengthening spousal rape laws and pro-choice efforts, and citing her four daughters as her inspiration for getting into the race.

Meanwhile, Parrott is centering his message on the economy and inflation. He's also getting major support from the House Freedom Caucus and its new leader, Rep. Andy Harris, who is currently the sole Republican member of the Maryland congressional delegation.

Still, major political prognosticators signal the race may still be an uphill one for Republicans. The Cook Political Report and Larry Sabato's Crystal Ball have both rated the race as "likely Democratic," favoring McClain-Delaney.