U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D). (AFRO File Photo)
There is widespread talk among political activists and politicians in Prince George’s County, Md. about who will succeed U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D). Some think her successor should be a county resident and possibly an African American.
Mikulski announced March 2 that she will retire from politics, serving in Washington as a representative from 1977-1987 and as the first Democratic senator elected from 1987 to 2017. Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker (D) praised Mikulski’s service on behalf of county residents.
“We in Prince George’s County have benefitted from the numerous times she has fought to secure funding for education, health, housing, and economic development opportunities,” Baker said. “We are a stronger, better, smarter, and united Maryland as a result of Senator Mikulski’s leadership.”
Since her announcement, some candidates have declared for the seat while others are thinking about running. “Let the games began,” Terry Speigner, a county entrepreneur and former head of the Prince George’s County Democratic Central Committee, said. “There is going to be stampede for that seat. A Senate seat only comes up once in a generation and this is an opportunity for someone to stay in that seat for maybe 20 or 30 years.”
On March 10, U.S. Rep. Donna Edwards (D-Md.) entered the race. U.S. Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) jumped in the race after Mikulski’s announcement, and there is speculation that former NAACP President and CEO Ben Jealous will run. Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake is reportedly pondering a run, and sources close to Rep. Elijah Cummings said he is consideringthe seat too.
Edwards is being encouraged to run by organizations such as the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, Democracy for America, and Blue America. Former Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown has not publicly stated his plans for the Senate contest.
Former Maryland State Sen. Tommy Broadwater, the first Black elected to that chamber from Prince George’s County, said running for the Senate will not be easy. “Winning a statewide race is difficult and it involves getting a lot of people on the campaign and raising a lot of money,” Broadwater, known as the “godfather” of Black politics in the county, said. “I do think it is time for a Prince Georgian and an African American to represent Maryland in the Senate. Winning will take a lot of hard work.”
Broadwater was aware of Van Hollen and Edwards’ interest in the Senate but said that he hasn’t heard anything about Brown’s interest.
Speigner said state Sen. C. Anthony Muse, who ran against U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (D) in 2012 Democratic primary, shouldn’t be ignored. “Muse would have credibility as a candidate,” Speigner said. “He’s run before and he got 18 percent of the vote even though he didn’t have the amount of money that Cardin had.”
Greg Hall, a former candidate for delegate in the 24th District, said it is time for the Democratic Party brass to get behind minority candidates who want to win statewide offices. “We the people should make the decision on the next senator, not the party bosses,” Hall said.
Hall said former NAACP CEO Kweisi Mfume, who ran against Cardin in the 2006 Democratic primary, should get another look, along with while former Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Glen Ivey and Muse. “We have talent here in the county,” Hall said.
Maryland Del. Jay Walker (D-District 26), chairman of the Prince George’s County House delegation, said that he has not thought to the race but notes the county cannot be ignored. “Any candidate who wants to win the election will have to go through Prince George’s County, and we will have a major impact on who wins,” Walker said.
Walker said that it is time for Maryland to elect a Black U.S. senator. “African Americans have made a lot of progress in Maryland and with Prince George’s County and Baltimore City as large voting blocs we could determine who the next senator will be.”
