MD-06: Duck on the Upswing?

Via Eric Luedtke, some good news from my hometown [emphasis added]:

Encompassing the western portion of the state -- and reaching from growing exurbs of Washington and Baltimore to the mainly rural panhandle -- the 6th District has the most conservative constituency among Maryland's eight districts.

Redistricting by the Democratic-controlled legislature early this decade made the district even more Republican in order to bolster Democratic majorities in other districts -- and increased the electoral security of Republican Rep. Roscoe G. Bartlett, whose victory margins moved from already comfortable to landslide.

This year, though, as Republican Party fortunes have waned in general, Bartlett is facing the most spirited challenge he has seen in years. Democratic nominee Andrew Duck entered the race as a political unknown and he still has a small campaign treasury. But his background as a former Army Intelligence officer and Iraq War veteran -- and his easy-to-remember last name -- are drawing Duck more attention than Bartlett's previous longshot challengers.

CQPolitics.com has changed its rating on the race to Republican Favored from Safe Republican.

A member of the "Fighting Dems," the sizable group of veterans running for Congress this year as Democrats, Duck has strongly criticized Bush's handling of the war in Iraq, calling for an internationalization of the forces seeking to keep the peace there, and a full congressional investigation of abuses at Abu Ghraib and other Iraqi prisons.

That latter issue hits closer to home in the 6th than in most congressional districts. Several of the troops involved in the prison abuses were from a unit based in western Maryland.

At a recent event for Democratic veteran candidates in Washington, D.C., Duck said, "I served on the ground in Iraq, and I can tell you I've seen this course, and we need to change course in Iraq now."

Despite his emergence as a credible longshot, Duck has not received financial support from the national Democratic Party and is running an underfunded campaign. As of the most recent campaign finance reporting deadline, covering receipts through Sept. 30, Duck had raised $153,000, and had just $15,000 cash on hand.

That was far behind Bartlett, who had $364,000 left to spend -- mainly, though, because he had leftover money from past, easier campaigns. The incumbent, who takes a minimalist approach to fundraising, reported just $283,000 in new receipts during the 2005-06 cycle.

Duck did receive some help in the form of a recent campaign visit from Maryland's two Democratic U.S. senators, Barbara A. Mikulski and the retiring Paul S. Sarbanes.

I think this reflects more the prevailing mood of the country than any specifics of the race -- I've yet to even see a poll done. But it does signify how badly the Republicans are faring, and how unlikely it is, I think, that they will pull themselves out of the downslide they're in. I don't expect a total blowout, even in the Maryland Senate and Governor's races, but I don't see where they'll get the traction to come back.

Meanwhile, 6th District residents: Help a brother out, and support Andrew Duck. And read Eleanor Clift's profile of Duck; it's fascinating.