HAGERSTOWN, Md. — Maryland’s 6th district race was still too close to call on election night for the midterms. Incumbent Democrat David Trone trails Republican challenger Neil Parrot by a few thousand votes.
The night started out promising for Trone, as he shot out to a commanding lead, with his base turning out in Montgomery and Frederick Counties
“That’s the heart of our district that’s the heart of the Democrat votes," Trone told supporters Tuesday night. "So I am confident that we are headed back to Congress.”
However, the farther west you go in Maryland, the more conservative the state gets, and more enthusiasm there has been for long-time state delegate Neil Parrott who is aiming to flip the 6th congressional district to Republican after redistricting made it more friendly to a conservative challenger.
Tuesday night Parrott sent supporters home with a hopeful message.
"The bottom line right now is it's too close to call," Parrott said.
“Were going to see throughout the night to see if the votes from Montgomery County outweigh the votes vote from Washington, Allegany and Garrett County, or what the percentage looks like -- and and I don’t know the results of that."
Conservative voters in Washington County, where Parrott's lives, said it was the economy that resonated with them.
"Abortion is a big deal but it doesn’t rank to when you go in a grocery store and you cant pay for things and you go up to the gas station and you go ‘oh my gosh when did this happen?’" said Ginger Bigelow, a Washington County Republican Central Committee member.
Parrott energized very conservative voters without running as an election denier or conspiracy theorist. He was not endorsed by former president Donald Trump.
The 6th District has been at the center of Maryland's redistricting controversy.
Maryland's Democratic-majority General Assembly attempted to redraw the state's congressional districts this year. Republicans challenged the new map in court claiming that it created an unfair advantage for Democrats.
A state judge ruled in favor of Republicans and forced the Democrat-backed map off the table. In theory, the move made the 6th District more competitive for Republicans. One of the key Republicans involved in the lawsuit was none other than State Delegate Neil Parrot.
Less than a year later, Del. Parrot holds a slim lead in the District he fought for in court.