GOP aims to flip deep blue Maryland congressional seat

Republicans see an opportunity to flip a Maryland congressional district that Democrats captured over a decade ago through gerrymandering.

Republican Neil Parrott and Democrat April McClain Delaney appear to be in a tight race in the state’s 6th Congressional District.

The district, which expands east from rural Allegany County to more urban Montgomery County, was represented by Republican Roscoe Bartlett from 1993 until Ms. Delaney’s husband, Democrat John Delaney, defeated him in 2012 after the Democrat-controlled state government drew a new district map.

Although the nonpartisan Cook Political Report and the University of Virginia Center for Politics have placed the 6th District in the “likely Democratic” category and Inside Elections rated it a “safe Democratic” seat, a recent poll shows Ms. Delaney and Mr. Parrott within the margin of error.

According to the poll released last week by Gonzales Research & Media Services, Mr. Parrott, a former Maryland state delegate representing Washington County, has a 2-percentage-point advantage over Ms. Delaney, a lawyer who recently served at the Commerce Department.

The survey of 317 registered voters, conducted the last week of August, shows that 20% of respondents are still undecided. The poll has a 5.6-percentage-point margin of error.

Mr. Parrott is finding support of 16% of Democrats, more than double the 7% of Republicans who back Ms. Delaney.

“Parrott is performing very well with his GOP voters and is dipping into Delaney’s base at twice the rate she’s snatching Republicans from him,” said Patrick Gonzales, the poll’s author.

Mr. Parrott also edges out Ms. Delaney among independents with 34% to Ms. Delaney’s 31%.

The district includes parts of Frederick, Montgomery, Washington, Garrett and Allegany counties.

According to the poll, Ms. Delaney leads Mr. Parrott in Montgomery County, 61% to 19%, and in Frederick County, 44% to 29%.

However, Mr. Parrott has support from 75% of voters in Washington, Allegany and Garrett counties to Ms. Delaney’s 15%.

Rep. David Trone vacated the 6th District seat to launch a failed Senate Democratic primary bid. He lost to Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks. The seat is open because Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin, a fellow Democrat, announced his retirement.