McClain Delaney defeats Trone in Democratic primary for 6th Congressional District

U.S. Rep. April McClain Delaney stopped businessman David Trone’s attempt to win back the seat he previously held representing parts of Montgomery County and Western Maryland.

McClain Delaney, who will face the Republican nominee Robin Ficker in November, won the expensive and contentious Maryland 6th District Democratic primary Tuesday by a narrow margin. The Associated Press called the Democratic primary race just after 11:30 p.m.

Though it’s Maryland’s purplest House district, Democrats have comfortably won the seat over the past decade, and in 2026 the congressional handicappers consider it safely Democratic, largely thanks to an increasingly Democratic population in Frederick County.

The Democratic front-runners’ deep pockets allowed them to blast their messages across airwaves and in mailers at a time when affordability is top of mind for voters.

McClain Delaney was joined at an election night party at the Gaithersburg Holiday Inn by her husband John Delaney, who once held the 6th District seat.

“All of the issues — both the unbelievable challenges but the unbelievable blessings — are in this district,” she said, before AP declared her the winner. “I have to say it has been an honor to represent it for the past year and a half, and I look forward to the years ahead.”

Meanwhile at a Frederick brew pub, Trone supporters lingered until after 11 p.m. nibbling on appetizers as classic rock tunes played over speakers.

A Trone campaign staffer told reporters he would not give a speech but had issued a statement on social media.

“From the moment we entered this race we knew it would be a close one,” Trone’s election night post read. On Wednesday, Trone said he would continue to be a “champion for Maryland families.”

“The fight to ensure our rights, immigrant communities, and our values are protected won’t stop after this election,” the statement said.

Khalil Elshazly travelled to McClain Delaney’s watch party to show his support.

An engineer in Frederick, Elshazly supported Trone in his previous congressional run but was turned off by the former representative’s tactics in this effort to regain his old seat.

Elshazly thinks the millions Trone has spent on this race could have gone to better causes and described the decision to primary as “uncalled for.”

McClain Delaney, Elshazly said, has prioritized the issues he cares about — among them expensive housing costs, health care and education.

The Frederick resident sits on an advisory council McClain Delaney established for the Muslim community, and he feels she’s sincere and intentional about connecting with different constituencies in her district.

“The most important thing is she’s very approachable,” Elshazly said.

The Democratic opponents battled over a seat passed between their families since 2013. John Delaney, represented the district before stepping down to run in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary. Trone held it from 2018 until the last election, when he made a failed run for U.S. Senate.

McClain Delaney started her freshman year as President Donald Trump began his second administration and Republicans dominated Washington.

Trone announced in December he was returning to politics, saying he felt his fellow Democrats hadn’t pushed back hard enough against Trump.

The two front-runners spent months aligning the other’s record with MAGA Republicans.

For Frederick Democrat Oliver King, the number of Trone mailers and frequent volunteer canvassers at his doorstep made him vote for McClain Delaney.

“It irritates me that David Trone can afford to have someone knock on my door every day,” the 63-year-old engineer said.

Trone’s campaign blasted McClain Delaney’s voting record, which at times has aligned with Republicans, and for taking special interest money.

McClain Delaney was one of dozens of Democrats who voted for the Laken Riley Act, a move she later regretted, saying she was listening to her constituents. The law requires federal agents to detain immigrants charged but not yet convicted of certain crimes.

McClain Delaney accused Trone, a prolific campaign spender, of trying to buy his seat back and dug up his GOP-aligned votes during the first Trump administration.

McClain Delaney’s campaign broadcast Trone’s political donations to Republicans. His campaign said resurfacing the contributions made more than a decade ago is a “distraction” from McClain Delaney’s accepting special interest money. Trone has defended these donations in news articles as “the cost of doing business” and told The Washington Post in 2016, his personal donations “buy access.”

Trone has run in three of Maryland’s most expensive races and loaned himself $25 million in this contest.

Kevin Reisinger, a Democrat from Frederick, said part of the reason he voted for Trone was because he self-funded his campaign.

“It shows he’s committed to the cause,” the 69-year-old retired business owner said.

An attorney and former Biden administration official, McClain Delaney waged a campaign on fighting for immigrants rights and healthcare and lowering costs for working families. She received endorsements from Maryland’s Democrats in Congress and Gov. Wes Moore, who backed her campaign in 2024 against Republican former Del. Neil Parrott.

Democrats also competing were George Gluck, Alexis Goldstein, Daniel Krakower, Ethan Wechtaluk, Kiambo “Bo” White and Mark Wilks.

The winner of November’s election will be sworn into the 120th Congress in early January.

By the time AP declared her the victor, around midnight Tuesday, McClain Delaney had already left her party, but the news sent a group of straggling campaign staff into cheers.

McClain Delaney thanked supporters in a statement Wednesday morning and turned attention to overturning Republican control of Congress.

“Election Day on November 3 isn’t just about flipping the House; it’s about ensuring we instill leaders across all levels of government who believe that diversity is our greatest strength, that equality is non-negotiable, and that no one is above the law,” she said. “Tomorrow the work continues.”

Elias Katz contributed reporting to this story.

This story has been updated.