Bartlett campaign: Republicans don’t want change

Lisa Wright, the press secretary for Republican Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, told PolitickerMD.com today that the congressman’s campaign is confident that voters in Maryland’s conservative Sixth Congressional District will continue to support the incumbent in the November general election against former Frederick Mayor Jennifer Dougherty.

While Democrats have been more successful turning out voters on a national level and throughout most of Maryland, Wright said, “That does not hold true for the sixth district.”

According to the Maryland State Board of Elections, Bartlett received 50,921 votes in the Feb. 12 Republican primary, while an additional 14,671 GOP votes were cast for the congressman’s four opponents; a total of 65,592. There were 57,724 votes cast in the five-person Democratic primary.

Wright also said the campaign was not concerned that Bartlett, an eight-term representative, could be a political casualty of the “change” theme, which has been so common in campaign’s throughout the country.

“You have to look at what voters in the sixth district want,” Wright said.

The press secretary said “Democrats voted for change,” in the districts’ primary, while Republicans, who comprise much of the district, did not.

In the Republican primary, Bartlett received 77.6% of the vote. His closest competitor, Joseph Krysztoforski , garnered 8.6%.

On the issues, Wright said Bartlett’s opinion on the war in Iraq had not changed from last July, when the congressman offered a detail report of his views.

“I have urged withdrawal after achievement of key benchmarks rather than arbitrary withdrawal if we want to protect Americans and prevent a human rights catastrophe in Iraq,” Bartlett wrote last summer.

Reiterating this point, Wright said “accomplishments,” such as further security gains within Iraq, had to occur prior to withdrawal. She did say, however, that the congressman did not want Iraq to “be like Korea,” saying he did not want troops in the region for several decades.

Expressing his disapproval with a November 2005 bill calling for an immediate end to military operations in Iraq, Bartlett said, “I support a conditions-based withdrawal plan determined by the Iraqi government, military and police forces achieving milestones of progress to create a stable government based upon the rule of law and provide greater security from insurgent violence for the Iraqi people.”

Today, Wright said the congressman remained firm in that position, but said he was “disappointed in the lack of specificity” that the Bush administration had presented in regards to specific benchmarks that needed to be met in Iraq.

Speaking with PolitickerMD.com on Wednesday, Dougherty said Bartlett had the “wrong position” on the war, and said the U.S. could not continue to be the “police force of Iraq.” She called for withdrawal to begin immediately.

In other areas, Wright said Bartlett would continue to support a “limited federal government,” that was committed to “lower taxes and lower spending.”

Wright also said both she and Bartlett “were not concerned” when asked if the congressman’s age would hurt him with voters. Bartlett will be 82 on Election Day, while Dougherty will be 47.

“Voters know from him that he is vigorous and experienced,” Wright said about Bartlett.

Maryland’s Sixth Congressional District includes all of Garrett, Allegany, Washington, Frederick and Carroll counties, along with portions of Montgomery, Baltimore, and Harford counties.