Heather Curtis
WMAL.com
WASHINGTON (WMAL) — Marylanders will not see Maryland Democratic Congressman John Delaney’s name on the ballot for re-election or for governor.
Delaney is setting his hopes higher and running for president in 2020.
He made the announcement Friday in an op-ed in the Washington Post.
“It is time for us to rise above our broken politics and renew the spirit that enabled us to achieve the seemingly impossible,” Delaney wrote.
He added “excessive partisanship” is causing critical opportunities” to improve the country to pass us by. He said his approach would go beyond partisanship.
He has already shown he doesn’t toe the party line.
“He really hasn’t been a leader within the Democratic party. He’s been, I think, more of a maverick. He’s kind of one of few Blue Dog Democrats, you might want to say, in Congress,” said Melissa Deckman, a political science professor at Washington College.
Deckman believes that could hurt Delaney because it hasn’t given him much of a national following.
She doesn’t think Delaney is running to raise awareness about issues but rather because he thinks he can do a better job than any of the other Democrats who have expressed interest in running so far.
Deckman adds that while he doesn’t have national name recognition, Delaney does have something else that helps in a presidential run: money.
The Post reported the businessman has an estimated net worth of more than 90 million dollars. He spent $3.3 million of his own money on his first two House campaigns.
As for a platform, Delaney said his focus would be on preparing for the future by evaluating the resources America has, figuring out how to create jobs, ensuring everyone has a fair chance and protecting people.
He said creating new infrastructure is key moving forward along with investing in science, education and research.
Copyright 2017 WMAL.com All Rights Reserved. (Photo: U.S. House of Representatives)
