Senate District 6

Incumbent: J.R. Salling (R)
Challengers: Buddy Staigerwald (D)

Past Results:
2014: J.R. Salling (R) 47.7%, John Olszewski, Jr. (D) 44.9%, Scott M. Collier (I) 7.3%
2010: Norman Stone (D) 57.8%, Bruce Kahl (R) 42.0%

Dundalk and Essex are Baltimore blue collar central, and in keeping with most other majority-white, blue collar areas in America, District 6 favored Trump over Clinton 61-35, a huge shift from Romney’s 50-48 win in 2012. Larry Hogan also won big here 75-23.

This is a volatile district politically and it’s not hard to figure out why. Nowhere in Maryland was hit harder by the recession than eastern Baltimore County, and voters here (at least the ones who are still voting; turnout has dropped precipitously) have decided it’s time for a change. At the federal level, they’re giving Trump a try, and at the state level, this means ditching the Democratic Party and shaking up Annapolis.

Nothing illustrates this paradigm shift than the 2014 election for state Senator, where underfunded political nobody J.R. Salling defeated two-term Delegate John Olszewski, Jr., who was the son of longtime county councilman and political boss John Olszewski, Sr., for the open seat. While some observers were shocked at this “upset,” it’s important to note that the district had been turning red for decades, and hadn’t voted for a Democratic presidential candidate since at least 1996 – probably even earlier, but I can’t find presidential election results by legislative district going back that far.

Buddy Staigerwald, an electrician and firefighter, has filed as a Democrat to challenge Salling. Democrats are hoping for a comeback here with a blue wave at their backs, but this is turf where both Trump and Hogan are extremely popular, so it’s going to be a tough sell.

Campaign finances as of the January 17 filing deadline:

House of Delegates

Incumbents: Robin Grammer (R), Robert Long (R), Ric Metzgar (R)
Challengers: Nicholas D’Adamo (D), Megan Ann Mioduszewski (D), Justin Holliday (D)

Past Results:
2014: Robert Long (R) 21.2%, Ric Metzgar (R) 19.1%, Robin Grammer (R) 18.4%, Nicholas D’Adamo (D) 14.6%, Mike Weir (D) 14.5%, Jake Mohorivic (D) 12.0%
2010: John Olszewski, Jr. (D) 20.2%, Mike Weir (D) 18.2%, Sonny Minnick (D) 17.9%, Robert Long (R) 16.2%, Ric Metzgar (R) 15.5%, Carlton William Clendaniel (R) 11.9%

Republicans swept the district four years ago, picking up two open seats and unseating Delegate Mike Weir. All three Republican incumbents are running for re-election.

Nicholas D’Adamo, the Democrats’ top vote-getter in 2014, is running again. He was a Baltimore City councilman from 1987-2011.

Campaign finances as of the January 17 filing deadline: