The Sun endorses Gilchrest

Says Pipkin "A Suitable Successor" One Day

This morning, the Baltimore Sun endorsed the re-nomination of First District Republican Wayne Gilchrest, while issuing a strong condemnation of the general tenor in the race.

Of all the swirling attack ads, the Sun editorial board implies, ‘They may be Republicans, but they're not stupid' - albeit in politer terms.

"Voters in the district... are generally more conservative and George W. Bush-supportive than voters elsewhere in Maryland, but they are not so easily deceived."

While noting "his willingness to stray from the White House line," they encourage voters to "[c]ontrast such principled positions with the political smears that have appeared in district mailboxes and on local television screens."

Yet, they also acknowledge "Gilchrest is not just victim but participant in the fray" of negative campaigning, though deeming it "out of character" and discounting it to the need for "self-defense."

And in a snub to state Sen. Andy Harris, the endorsement editorial also praises "a worthy adversary," state Sen. E.J. Pipkin, as a conservative who "has demonstrated his own independent streak as a fierce critic of Constellation Energy Group and utility deregulation."

"He may one day make a suitable successor to Mr. Gilchrest," the Sun writes.

Shortly after Pipkin's entry to the race in late November, the Washington Times made an early endorsement of Harris which called Pipkin's entry to the race, "baffling."

Gilchrest chief of staff Tony Caligiuri brushed off the endorsement at the time, telling PolitickerMD.com, that if "a respected paper like the Baltimore Sun" had endorsed Harris, it would have had far greater significance.

Another large circulation local newspaper, the Easton Star-Democrat, has also endorsed Rep. Gilchrest's re-nomination.