Washington, DC -- The polls in Maryland were kept open an extra hour and a half yesterday because of an ice-storm -- and I missed my flight back to San Francisco because of huge traffic jams caused by the ice.
In the hoopla of the Potomac primary there may be some questions that appear close to being settled (like the Republican nominee), and some questions that are still somewhat up in the air (like the Democratic nominee), but in Maryland there was one clearly decisive win -- environmental activist and champion Donna Edwards soundly beat incumbent Al Wynn.
In a time when citizens are demanding change, Donna Edwards represents a rejection of the politics of the past and instead stands for a cleaner, brighter future.
Donna Edwards took on Wynn in 2006 and came within less than 3,000 votes out of more than 82,000 cast. To his credit, Wynn took a second look at his district -- the northern suburbs of our nation's capital filled with federal employees who share family-oriented and environmental values -- and over the last year voted the district on key energy and environmental issues.
But unfortunately, Wynn maintained his polluter-friendly reputation and continued taking money from some of the largest and most polluting energy companies in the country." And Big Carbon and developers chose to make this race all about energy and environmental issues, pouring their contributions into Wynn's coffers in enormous volumes at the end of the campaign.
In response, in the weeks leading up to the Potomac Primary, our volunteers came together with other progressive groups and braved the sometimes cold, sometimes balmy weather to get out the message that Donna Edwards was the candidate for a clean energy future. On Election Day, folks walked through snow, rain, and sleet. Congressman Wynn conceded last night, and with 88 percent of precincts reporting, Edwards led with 60 percent of the vote to Wynn's 36 percent.
In 2006, with the defeat of the anti-environmental poster-boy Richard Pombo, Congress was put on notice that Americans want a cleaner environment and cleaner government. Donna Edwards's upset win in 2008 should serve as a reminder to any incumbents who failed to listen the first time.
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