2006 United States House of Representatives elections in Maryland

Summary

The Maryland congressional elections of 2006 were held on Tuesday, November 7, 2006. The terms of all eight representatives to the United States House of Representatives expired on January 3, 2007, and therefore all were put up for contest. The winning candidates served a two-year term from January 3, 2007, to January 3, 2009.

2006 United States House of Representatives elections in Maryland

← 2004 November 7, 2006 (2006-11-07) 2008 →

All 8 Maryland seats to the United States House of Representatives
  Majority party Minority party
 
Party Democratic Republican
Last election 6 seats, 58.17% 2 seats, 39.77%
Seats won 6 2
Seat change Steady Steady
Popular vote 1,099,441 546,862
Percentage 64.63% 32.15%
Swing Increase 6.46% Decrease 7.62%

Overview edit

United States House of Representatives elections in Maryland, 2006[1]
Party Votes Percentage +/– Seats +/–
Democratic 1,099,441 64.63% +6.46% 6
Republican 546,862 32.15% -7.62% 2
Green 42,857 2.52% +0.54% 0
Libertarian 4,941 0.29% +0.29% 0
Constitution 635 0.04% -0.04% 0
Others 6,466 0.38% +0.38% 0
Totals 1,701,202 100.00% - 8

District 1 edit

 

Incumbent Republican Congressman Wayne Gilchrest, seeking his ninth term in Congress, faced Jim Corwin, the Democratic nominee and a family physician. Gilchrest's reputation as a moderate Republican built up his popularity and he was overwhelmingly re-elected in this conservative, Eastern Shore-based district.

Marylands's 1st congressional district election, 2006
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Wayne Gilchrest (inc.) 185,177 68.80% -7.09
Democratic Jim Corwin 83,738 31.11% +7.00
Write-ins 232 0.09%
Total votes 269,147 100.00
Republican hold

District 2 edit

 

In this heavily-gerrymandered and relatively liberal district, incumbent Democratic Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger faced no serious threat from Republican candidate Jimmy Mathis. Ruppersberger won a third term in this district that includes small parts of Baltimore and some of the Baltimore metropolitan area in a landslide.

Marylands's 2nd congressional district election, 2006
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Dutch Ruppersberger (inc.) 135,818 69.21% +2.53
Republican Jimmy Mathis 60,195 30.68% -
Write-ins 215 0.11%
Total votes 196,228 100.00
Democratic hold

District 3 edit

 

Incumbent Democratic Congressman Ben Cardin declined to seek an eleventh term so that he could run for Senate. John Sarbanes, the son of retiring Senator Paul Sarbanes and an attorney, won a crowded Democratic primary and became the Democratic nominee. Annapolis marketing executive John White was the Republican nominee, and, true to the liberal nature of this district based in the Baltimore metropolitan area, Sarbanes beat White.

Marylands's 3rd congressional district election, 2006
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic John Sarbanes 150,142 64.03% +0.59
Republican John White 79,174 33.76% -0.04
Libertarian Charles Curtis McPeek, Sr. 4,941 2.11% +2.11
Write-ins 229 0.10%
Total votes 234,486 100.00
Democratic hold

District 4 edit

 

In this district, which has a majority African-American population and is based in Prince George's County and Montgomery County, is heavily liberal. Incumbent Democratic Congressman Al Wynn survived a tough primary challenge from lawyer Donna Edwards, and since the Democratic primary is tantamount to election, Wynn was the heavy favorite to win the general election, which he ultimately did.

Marylands's 4th congressional district election, 2006
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Al Wynn (inc.) 141,897 80.67% +5.44
Republican Michael Moshe Starkman 32,792 18.64% -1.58
Write-ins 1,214 0.69%
Total votes 175,903 100.00
Democratic hold

District 5 edit

 

House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, who has served in Congress since he was elected in a 1981 special election to fill the seat previously held by Gladys Spellman, did not face a Republican opponent in this election. Hoyer's election to his fourteenth term was never in doubt, however, seeing as this district, based in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and southern Maryland, is heavily liberal. Hoyer beat out Green Party candidate Steve Warner and Constitution Party candidate Peter Kuhnert to win another term in Congress.

Marylands's 5th congressional district election, 2006
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Steny Hoyer (inc.) 168,114 82.68% +13.96
Green Steve Warner 33,464 16.46% +15.04
Constitution Peter Kuhnert 635 0.31% -0.31
Write-ins 1,110 0.55%
Total votes 203,323 100.00
Democratic hold

District 6 edit

 

This district, based in the heavily conservative Maryland panhandle and the moderately conservative northern suburbs of Baltimore, has sent incumbent Republican Congressman Roscoe Bartlett back to Washington with solid margins of re-election, and this year proved no different. Congressman Bartlett faced United States Army veteran Andrew J. Duck in the general election, and though he ultimately beat Duck out, it was by a thinner margin than usual.

Marylands's 6th congressional district election, 2006
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Roscoe Bartlett (inc.) 141,200 58.97% -8.48
Democratic Andrew J. Duck 92,030 38.43% +8.94
Green Robert E. Kozak 6,095 2.55% -0.50
Write-ins 128 0.05%
Total votes 239,453 100.00
Republican hold

District 7 edit

 

Incumbent Democratic Congressman Elijah Cummings, who has represented this heavily liberal district based in Baltimore, Baltimore County and Howard County since previous Congressman Kweisi Mfume resigned in 1996. This year, the popular Cummings did not face any opponent of any kind in the general election and he coasted to a seventh term.

Marylands's 7th congressional district election, 2006
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Elijah Cummings (inc.) 158,830 98.06% +24.63
Write-ins 3,147 1.94%
Total votes 161,977 100.00
Democratic hold

District 8 edit

 

Democratic Congressman Chris Van Hollen, considered by many to be a rising star in the Democratic Party, has represented this staunchly liberal district based in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area since his initial election in 2002. Van Hollen faced no serious threat to his bid for a third term from Republican Jeffrey Stein or Green Party candidate Gerard Giblin, and he crushed both of them in the general election.

Marylands's 8th congressional district election, 2006
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Chris Van Hollen (inc.) 168,872 76.52% +1.61
Republican Jeffrey M. Stein 48,324 21.90% -3.17
Green Gerard P. Giblin 3,298 1.49% +1.49
Write-ins 191 0.09%
Total votes 220,685 100.00
Democratic hold

References edit

  1. ^ "2006 Election Statistics". Archived from the original on January 30, 2008. Retrieved July 22, 2021.

See also edit

Preceded by
2004 elections
United States House elections in Maryland
2006
Succeeded by
2008 elections