MD-04: Edwards Concedes

Damn:

Congressional hopeful Donna Edwards (D) accepted defeat yesterday, saying 12 days after a deeply troubled primary election that she believes votes in the congressional district straddling Montgomery and Prince George's counties have been counted "to the extent that they will be."

Edwards, who challenged Democratic Rep. Albert R. Wynn in a bid for Maryland's 4th District seat, had previously taken the position that a narrow margin in early returns and concern over the integrity of the balloting left the contest too close to call. But with the final ballots from the Sept. 12 primary counted by late Friday, unofficial results had her falling short by 2,725 votes.

Edwards said that although she remains "really troubled" by "multiple layers of failures" in the election, she is no longer contemplating legal action. She urged lawmakers and the state Board of Elections to conduct a thorough investigation.

I had hoped that, given how many of the voting machines in Montgomery and Prince George's were compromised, that Edwards would be well-positioned to have the election taken to court. But the problems may have been too broad for a single court case to effectively remedy. Perhaps Bruce at Crablaw can clarify?

Still, I am amazed at what a strong campaign Edwards ran, given how entrenched Wynn has been for the last 14 years. It was professional, committed, and fearless, everything you could want from a liberal Democrat challenging the powers that be. If she had begun her candidacy sooner, or if the netroots had gotten involved sooner -- or if the Boards of Elections in this state could run a proper election -- I have no doubt she would have won. Let's hope she comes back in 2008 and finishes Wynn off.

Tags: maryland politics md-04 donna edwards al wynn democrats