Annapolis, MD — The Maryland Democratic Party is condemning the Maryland Republican Party’s distribution of race-baiting ads and mailers in an attempt to interfere in the Democratic primary for the MD-06 congressional race. Party Chair Kathleen Matthews is calling on Larry Hogan to show leadership by stopping these unethical tactics, which follow a pattern of Republicans nationwide embracing Trump’s racially-insensitive campaign practices.
“These offensive new attack ads fit a pattern for Governor Hogan and Maryland Republicans, who have embraced the national Republican playbook of divisive, racialized rhetoric,” said Maryland Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Matthews. “Frankly, it’s an embarrassment to Maryland that the party led by our Governor would approve these ads which are offensive and have no place in Maryland. Is Hogan going to keep raising more money for the Maryland Republican Party to print more of these terrible ads, or will he show the moral leadership we expect from our governor?”
Last year, Hogan endorsed failed candidate for Virginia Governor Ed Gillespie—and called him a “great leader”—after many Republicans,civil rights groups, and the Washington Post Editorial Board had already condemned Gillespie’s misleading and racially-charged campaign. Republicans used the same playbook in the last year’s gubernatorial election in New Jersey.
In last year’s Annapolis elections, James Appel—a Hogan administration appointee and Hogan reelection campaign official—distributed fliers that used racialized fear-mongering in an attempt to tie Democrat Marc Rodriguez to MS-13, similar to the new attacks in the CD-06 primary. Rodriguez defeated Appel by more than 20 points.
Donald Trump has repeatedly conflated MS-13 gang members with undocumented immigrants, despite study after study showing that immigrants commit fewer crimes on average than native-born Americans.