By Dennis Sean O’Brien
WASHINGTON – Democratic Rep. Albert Wynn has more than seven times the cash on hand as his nearest challenger to Maryland’s 4th District seat, according to the most recent Federal Election Commission records.
Wynn, 44, of Largo, who is running unopposed in the Democratic primary, raised about $159,000 last year to fund his bid for a third term, according to records filed last week.
After expenses, he had about $89,000 in the bank, his report shows.
Dr. Cesar Madarang, 64, of Silver Spring, is the leading Republican fund-raiser. He raised about $35,000 last year. After expenses, he had about $12,000 in the bank, his report shows.
John Kimble, 35, of Silver Spring, the only other Republican running for the seat, said he has raised less than $5,000. “To be honest to God, I just don’t know” how much, he said.
He was not required to file a fund-raising report because he didn’t reach the $5,000 minimum.
Of the $158,378 in contributions to Wynn last year, more than $62,000 came from special-interest groups, called political action committees.
He received a number of labor contributions, including from the Sheet Metal Workers International Association PAC and the United Mine Workers PAC.
Madarang, founding president and medical director of St. Jude’s Medical Center in Washington, listed only $500 in contributions last year from PACs.
According to the records, nearly $34,000 of his total receipts last year came from individuals. He contributed $1,000 to his own campaign.
During the last six months, most of Madarang’s contributions were from outside his district, which includes inner-Beltway portions of Prince George’s and Montgomery counties.
Madarang is not daunted by Wynn’s war chest, said campaign manager Tim Mayberry. The Republican must first get through the GOP primary March 5, but Mayberry said that shouldn’t be difficult. “We believe the race is against Al Wynn,” Mayberry said.
The Madarang camp expects to raise enough money to win the November general election, Mayberry said.
Madarang came to the United States in 1967 from his native Philippines, Mayberry said, and began practicing medicine in the Washington area. The main issue for the divorced father of four is family values, Mayberry said.
He has never run for office before, Mayberry said.
Kimble, who owns a paging company, said he anticipates a groundswell of grass-roots support once he publicizes his anti- immigration, anti-gun-control platform.
He said he supports a national curfew for Americans under 18 and a moratorium on immigration for 10 years.
Kimble ran unsuccessfully for state Senate in 1994. One other Democrat, Maria Turner of Mount Rainier, filed with the state board of elections as a candidate. But FEC officials said she has withdrawn from the race. -30-
