Battle for the US Senate Seat in MD: Are Democrats Obliged to Promote Diversity?

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DSCC chair Chuck Schumer (D-NY) "has shown a willingness to broker" SEN Dem primaries, e.g. PA and RI. But "as competitive open-seat primaries loom" in MD and MN, Schumer and other Dem leaders "may find themselves under intense pressure to get behind candidates who are favored by some of the party's most reliable voting blocs. In both cases, the activists are wondering whether the party will live up to its rhetoric on diversity by promoting women and minority candidates -- even if these candidates may not be considered the strongest general-election nominees." In MD, "some national and state black politicians are suggesting that the party clear the field" for ex-NAACP pres./ex-Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D).  Mfume said "probably what you are seeing is people who are very loyal Democrats assuming and believing that the party, to hold on to its base in the black community, needs to be showing a demonstrable willingness to do what it can to promote black candidates. ... I believe in the party, and I hope that the party believes in me." Dem consultant Donna Brazile said Mfume is the kind of "national superstar" candidate that Dem have embraced recently like Sens. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Barack Obama (D-IL). Brazile: "This guy can raise money all over America. These other candidates -- well-intentioned and well-qualified -- can't possibly rally the kind of national support he can." But "several political observers believe that Mfume's chances of winning increase in a multicandidate primary and that he would be the underdog in a head-to-head race with one white opponent." The Hotline April 11, 2005 
  • Other Black Candidates Want in: Rep. Elijah Cummings (D), who succeeded Mfume in Congress, has still not ruled out a Senate run, though it is considered unlikely at this stage. Neither has Prince George's County States Attorney Glenn Ivey (D), who is also black. And black Members of Congress may be hesitant to take sides in a primary in which some of their colleagues, black or white, may be competing. Roll Call April 11, 2005 Monday
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