As election season moves into high gear, UMBC faculty are providing media with insight into both local and national political developments.
Laura Hussey, assistant professor of political science, commented for AP on Maryland state Sen. Anthony Muse’s campaign to oust U.S. Sen. Benjamin Cardin. Muse has promoted himself as a better advocate on issues such as consumer protection, but Hussey notes that Cardin maintains an incumbent’s advantage, benefiting from name recognition, prominent endorsements and strong financial support.
Hussey argues that if the seat were open, rather than occupied by an incumbent, demographic and geographic differences between Muse and Cardin would play a greater role in the election. Muse has suggested that Maryland is poised to elect an African-American to the U.S. senate at a moment when there are no black U.S. senators.
Don Norris, professor and chairman of UMBC’s Department of Public Policy, predicted for the National Journal that “there won’t be any surprises” in the Maryland and D.C. Republican primaries—Romney is likely to easily take the lead in both.
“The Republican electorate in Maryland is a little more moderate”—and Romney-friendly—“than in other states below the Mason-Dixon line,” says Norris. Although the primary might be less exciting in Maryland than other states, the delegates are just as important. “Romney’s waging a war of attrition against Santorum and Gingrich,” Norris argues. “Every time he wins a delegate…[it] goes into the plus column to eventually get to the 1,144 that he’s got to have.”
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