Delaney Didn't Vote In '06 And '10 Elections
HAGERSTOWN, Md. (AP) -- Democratic congressional challenger John Delaney failed to vote in two elections in 2006 and 2010, his campaign acknowledged Wednesday.
"It was a mistake that he made," said Justin Schall, manager of the Montgomery County businessman's campaign to unseat Republican Rep. Roscoe Bartlett in Maryland's reconfigured 6th Congressional District. The story was first reported Wednesday by The Baltimore Sun.
Schall said in a telephone interview that Delaney's failure to cast ballots in the 2006 general election and 2010 Democratic primary were anomalies in his long voting history.
In the 2006 general election, Democrat Martin O'Malley unseated Republican Robert Ehrlich in the governor's race. Andrew Duck won the 2010 Democratic primary with 65 percent of the vote.
Bartlett Campaign Manager Ted Dacey said in a statement: "John Delaney's failure to vote in important elections raises a critical question: If John Delaney can't be bothered to vote for himself, how can Maryland families ever trust him to vote for them?"
The conservative Bartlett is seeking a 10th term in a district made competitive by redistricting. It spans much of western Maryland and a large piece of Democrat-heavy Montgomery County.
Delaney is a moderate Democrat who spent heavily from his own funds to defeat a primary opponent, state Sen. Rob Garagiola, who was supported by most state party leaders.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
