ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) – Rep. Chris Van Hollen won the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate on Tuesday, defeating Rep. Donna Edwards in a long battle that divided fellow Democrats on Capitol Hill in a race to find a successor to retiring Sen. Barbara Mikulski.
Van Hollen pointed to his record as a pragmatic progressive who is able to reach across the political aisle to get things done. Edwards campaigned as a candidate more committed to holding liberal principles without settling for political deals. Voters often said they liked both candidates and found the choice difficult.
“I’ve seen him in the leadership a much longer time than Donna Edwards, who I also like,” said Jeff Studds, a 60-year-old retired middle school teacher who voted for Van Hollen.
In Baltimore, a judge ordered four city polling places to each stay open an extra hour because they opened late, after Edwards sought the order on Tuesday.
The race was a polarizing battle over race, gender and personality to replace the nation’s longest-serving female senator. The White House and prominent national Democrats weighed in on behalf of Van Hollen, even as Edwards backers insisted that her opportunity to become only the second black female U.S. senator in history should not be denied.