WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — Democrat April McClain Delaney takes on Republican Neil Parrott for Maryland’s 6th Congressional District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The district extends from Montgomery County to include Frederick, all of Washington, Allegany and Garrett counties.
Since 2019, Rep. David Trone (D) has been representing the district. He decided to forego a re-election bid this year when he sought the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, a race he lost to Angela Alsobrooks.
Before casting ballots in the election, here are some things to know about McClain Delaney and Parrott.
April McClain Delaney (D)
April McClain Delaney brings over 30 years of experience in communications law, regulatory affairs and public advocacy to the table.
She previously served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Communications in the Biden Administration’s Department of Commerce. She also served as the Director and Board Member of Common Sense Media in D.C., a nonprofit that is “dedicated to understanding how the ever-changing media and technology landscape impacts children’s health and wellbeing.”
McClain Delaney said she prides herself on advocating for Maryland families and making sure children have access to “equal” and “high-quality” education.
If elected to Congress, McClain Delaney promised she will work to address the rising costs by building an economy “that works for everyone.” She will promote broad-based economic growth which creates more opportunities for everyone. To create a more “inclusive economy” for everyone, McClain Delaney said she will work towards finding a balance between fiscal discipline, social progress, global competitiveness and protecting safety net programs and investments.
She also believes humane immigration reform is “urgent.” Because of that, McClain Delaney indicated she is ready to work with lawmakers to create bipartisan measures to keep the country safe while securing the border, treating everyone fairly and humanely and preserving the right to legal immigration.
McClain Delaney supports reproductive rights and a woman’s freedom to make her own choices when it comes to them. In Congress, she said she will co-sponsor the Women’s Health Protection Act which would reestablish and guard abortion rights.
She believes that creating a stronger country begins by rebuilding trust in the government.
McClain Delaney was born and raised in Idaho where she was the child of a potato farmer. The mother of four daughters is married to John Delaney, who previously held the district’s seat in 2012.
Neil Parrott (R)
As a lifelong Marylander, Neill Parrott prides himself on the contributions he’s made to his home state.
The Eagle Scout and alumnus of the University of Maryland, College Park was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 2010 and served for three terms until 2022.
He worked as a traffic engineer for the Maryland State Highway Administration in Frederick County, served as the City of Frederick’s Deputy Director of Public Works for Engineering and founded the Hagerstown Area Summer Swiming program, promoting water safety.
He opened a small business in Hagerstown, serves as head coach for the summer swimming program and has worked to provide low-cost swim lessons to children in the Hagerstown community.
While serving in the House of Delegates, Parrott proposed what he descirbes as “common-sense legislation” such as requiring voters to show ID before voting and offering free state IDs to all residents.
Parrott believes in cutting inflation and living costs and addressing the housing crisis. He said he wants to fix the “broken economy” by continuing to fight for Maryland’s economic growth, ending “reckless, inflationary spending” and lowering taxes.
He also wants to end illegal immigration by making sure the existing immigration laws are being enforced and defunding sanctuary cities. If elected to Congress, Parrott said he will work to pass legislation that changes the standards for people claiming asylum and increase Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers’ ability to find and detain illegal immigrants.
Additionally, Parrot wants to address Maryland’s transportation issues. He said as a traffic engineer, he knows the north-south roadways in his district need to be widened for safety reasons and others. He hopes to improve highway safety and bring more investment and business opportunities to the state.
Parrott has been married for almost 25 years and is father to three children.
Early voting in Maryland will be held from Oct. 24 until Oct. 31. Election Day is on Nov. 5.
