American University history professor Allan Lichtman officially announced yesterday he is seeking the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate seat to be vacated by Sen. Paul Sarbannes (D-Md.) in 2006.
Amid a crowd of middle school and college students, AU professors, and Bethesda residents at North Bethesda Middle School, Lichtman pledged to fight and be an advocate for ordinary Maryland residents and for the country at large if elected. Behind him, about 20 middle school students held up signs of support and a banner that read, "Allan Lichtman, Democrat for U.S. Senate: Too much government intruding in our private lives; too little government meeting our needs."
Lichtman said he offers better leadership than his challengers, U.S. Rep. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and former U.S. Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.), who have been called "frontrunners" for the open seat. Lichtman said that these "anointed candidates" do not have any new ideas and represent the old compromising Democratic leadership.
"Anointment is nothing more than a guarantee of a Republican senator from Maryland," Lichtman said. "We need to change our priorities and change the way we do business in our nation's capital."
Lichtman also attacked the Republican establishment in the White House and Congress, criticizing the actions of President Bush, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, who temporarily stepped down as Majority Leader yesterday following his indictment on charges of violating campaign finance law.
Lichtman was sent to Texas to investigate Tom DeLay's efforts to gerrymander congressional districts within the state to try and eliminate Democratic, as well as African-American and Latino, voting districts.
Lichtman told The Eagle in a Sept. 13 interview that he believes he is the only candidate who can "puncture the bubble" that Republicans are trying to create around potential challenger and current Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele.
Some attending the rally felt that Lichtman was the right candidate. Vinny Intondi, an AU grad student, said he wants someone in Congress who will fight for causes he supports.
"I have a problem with the Democrats currently in office," he said. "They lack a backbone."
However, other students think Lichtman's chances of winning are slim.
"People do like him, but the people of Maryland aren't really supportive of him as senator," said Brigid Houck, a sophomore in the School of International Service who is from Maryland, said.
Houck said that she wants the winner of Democratic primary to beat Steele, and thinks that it will happen, but she doesn't know if the eventual winner will be Lichtman.
"The qualities he has as a professor do not lend themselves to him being a Senator," she said. "It's better for AU if he doesn't win. We can utilize him more as a professor rather than as a Senator."
Though he has not served in Congress, Lichtman said he is experienced in the arena of politics. He said he offers a fresh perspective, but has been "battle-tested" through his experience as a witness in more than 70 cases that fought for voting rights for African Americans and other minorities in Worcester County, Md., and as a commentator on Maryland politics.
Polls show that 77 percent of Democrats want a fighting person elected to the Senate, according to Lichtman. He vowed to "uplift common Americans," focusing on issues like education, specifically the rising cost of college tuition, the economy, decreasing reliance on fossil fuels, the environment, health care and crime prevention.
He also vowed to fight against the Supreme Court's recent decision upholding eminent domain, where the government can seize property from homeowners in low-income areas and use it to try and spur economic development by installing a Wal-Mart, for example.
"Once we get rid of corporate welfare, reform things like the Medicare prescription drug program, like the giveaways in the president's energy program, then we have the resources to begin to address problems of poverty, the racial divide in America," Lichtman said. "Those problems have been untouched by this administration because they haven't been concerned with ordinary people."
Lichtman told The Eagle that he received support from over 80 AU students after speaking at a meeting of the College Democrats. When asked why he relies on students, most of whom vote in their home states, he said it is important to get new leadership who can inspire all students to get involved in the political process.
"Every American has a stake in this election in Maryland because it's an opportunity for new leadership to change the direction of the entire country, not just the state of Maryland," Lichtman said.
Despite his status as an official candidate, Lichtman said he will continue to teach at AU. This is not a conflict of interest because he does not use AU's name, facilities or letterhead to promote his candidacy, and is not being endorsed by the university. He also said he will not proselytize in his classes, but will stick to teaching history.
Running for Senate does not come without risks, however. Lichtman announced yesterday that he and his wife have re-mortgaged their house in Bethesda and now have $0.25 million in the bank. He said he is ready to fundraise, and although he is not going to match the other candidates in terms of spending, he will be the only candidate running an issue-based campaign.
"Allan distinguishes himself as a candidate," said his neighbor, Tovah Kasdin, who attended the official announcement. "He's not just a run-of-the-mill Democrat. His politics are heartfelt, and he's willing to stick by them even when it's unpopular. He's very sincere about his promises"
