| Interest Surrounds Edwards’ Seat in Congress |
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| Elections | |
| By James Wright - Special to the Informer | |
| Thursday, November 19, 2009 | |
 Maryland State Delegate Herman L. Taylor, Jr. (l), Rep Donna Edwards (D-MD) and Prince George's States Attorney Glen Ivy (r.) Courtesy PhotosDel. Herman Taylor (D-Montgomery County) and Glen Ivey, the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney, have sent signals that they may be interested in challenging Edwards, who represents the Fourth Congressional District of Maryland. Edwards, 50, has served in the U.S. Congress since June 2008 and is a favorite among progressive Democrats nationally. She defeated longtime Rep. Albert Wynn in the February 2008 Democratic primary and took steps to take the office when Wynn resigned in March. She won a special election in June of that year--which allowed her to assume the office‑-and defeated her Republican opponent that November, getting 86 percent of the vote. On June 19, Edwards made history when she became the first Black woman to represent Maryland in the U.S. Congress. The district covers a major part of southern and central Prince George’s County and the eastern and central part of Montgomery County to the Frederick County line. It is recognized as one of the nation’s safest Democratic districts, according to the 2010 editions of the American Almanac of Politics. The bi-county district is 57 percent Black with Whites constituting 28 percent followed by Latinos (7.5), Asians (5.6) and the rest of the other groups, according to the Almanac. On Sept. 19, Randi and Karen Payton hosted a fundraiser for Taylor at their Upper Marlboro home. A delegate since 2002, Taylor was approached in 2007 about taking on Wynn in 2008 by a group of business executives in Prince George’s County, but declined to enter the race. Taylor, 42, has made a name for himself in Annapolis for his work on the living wage, economic development and his activism with the Maryland Legislative Black Caucus. Taylor is the founder and former chief executive officer of Deskmate Office Products in Washington, D.C. Repeated calls to reach Chris Davis, a political aide of Taylor’s who would know about the delegate’s intentions, were not returned by Informer press time. In its Tue., Nov. 3 edition, Roll Call, a newspaper that covers the activities of the United States House and Senate, published a story with the headline, “Ivey May Challenge Edwards.” When approached by the Informer about the possible run, Ivey would not confirm or deny his interest in becoming a congressman. “I am not pursuing re-election as State’s Attorney and I am not interested in a position in the Obama administration,” Ivey said. Ivey, 48, who is considered one of the leading candidates for county executive also, said that he will make an announcement on his political future soon but would not set a definitive date. He said that he will talk to his family and friends before he makes a final decision. Ivey has worked as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, senior legislative assistant to Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), chief counsel to former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle and as counsel to the Senate Whitewater Committee for Sen. Paul Sarbanes. Ivey graduated with honors from Princeton University in 1983 and graduated from Harvard Law School in 1986. Ivey’s wife, Jolene, is a member of the House of Delegates. Edwards’s office had no comment regarding her potential opponents. WI
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