Fighting on Election Day, Edwards joined by key ally

GERMANTOWN - In arguably the toughest contest in the state, 4th Congressional District challenger Donna Edwards fought back today against charges leveled at her by U.S. Rep. Al Wynn, who pointed out this morning that even as Edwards was assailing him over his 2002 Iraq War vote, she was working for a foundation that took money from energy giant Halliburton.

"The Arca Foundation has wide-ranging portfolios managed by Mercantile," Edwards said of the non-profit from which she’s taken a leave of absence to challenge Wynn. "I don’t make those determinations of where the money comes from. I decide where the money goes - toward causes like providing higher living wages and voting rights, and fighting global warming."

Edwards has lambasted Wynn in ads as an ineffectual congressman whose penchant for accepting campaign contributions from energy companies has depleted him of credibility. Today she again trained her critique on Wynn as she shook hands with voters here outside Lake Seneca Elementary School, where 187 people had voted as of 10 a.m.

"This criticism of me is coming from a congressman who’s taken about $500,000 from the gas and oil companies,"said Edwards, who voted at First Baptist Church this morning before picking her son Jared up at the train station.

Each of the two combatants in this congressional race has sought to absorb some of the Obama effect in Maryland, and while the eight-term Wynn has been a local public face for the Illinois senator, yesterday Edwards came face to face with Obama at a rally in College Park.

"Senator Obama inspires me," she said. "We’re similar because we know this is about saying ‘no’ to the corporations and ‘yes’ to the American people. We share a vision of campaign finance reform. I told him when he becomes president, Donna Edwards is going to be in Congress, covering his back."

A sophomore economics major at Drew University in Madison, N.J., Jared Edwards said he has "high expectations" for his mother in today’s election, and said he intends to vote for her at 5 p.m. today.