By Adam Pagnucco.
Last week, Bethesda Magazine’s Lou Peck broke the story that new candidate Amar Mukunda had switched from the District 39 delegate race (in which a slate led by Senator Nancy King is trying to oust Delegate Gabe Acevero) to a Senate challenge against King. Mukunda had a lot to say in that article, but the announcement video he posted on Facebook makes his message crystal clear. Let’s review the video and a transcript.
District 39 Senate candidate Amar Mukunda.
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It’s time to fight back against Donald Trump’s extreme abuse of power. Here in Maryland, we’re fighting to redistrict so that Trump and Texas Republicans don’t control Congress. Our governor is fighting for it. Our House speaker is fighting for it. But the Senate leadership in Maryland is blocking it.
Why? Because they’re afraid of this president.
The Democratic establishment in Maryland’s State Senate does not have the courage to fight back.
And it’s not just redistricting. This year, Maryland’s House passed a bill to prevent ICE agents from getting data about our kids. The Senate blocked it. Last year, the House had a bill to expand funding for healthy school meals for low income students. The Senate leadership blocked it.
That’s why today, I am refiling to run for the State Senate to run against our Senate majority leader in Annapolis.
My name is Amar Mukunda. I was born and raised here in Montgomery County. I’m a soldier and I spent four years helping to run Maryland’s largest gun violence prevention program. It’s time for new leadership, new ideas and the courage to fight back.
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This message raises two thoughts.
First, I am reminded of the epic 2010 challenge by then-Delegate Saqib Ali against King. Like Mukunda, Ali ran to King’s left. The race attracted lots of money and spawned dumpsters full of negative mail before ending in a three-point victory by King. It was an election I will never forget writing about and I looked back on it here.
Could Mukunda get that close or even win? It’s true that the Democratic Party has moved to the left since 2010 and almost all Democrats loathe Trump. District 39 has even elected an open Democratic Socialist (Acevero). But Ali had advantages that Mukunda does not (yet) possess. First, he was an incumbent delegate who had already shown that he knew how to win in the district. Second, he had some decent endorsements including MCGEO, CASA in Action, the Sierra Club and the League of Conservation Voters. Third, he raised enough money to get his message out. And finally, he was great on social media and knew how to get press. That got the attention of Senate President Mike Milller, who intervened to help King. We shall see if Mukunda has that kind of game.
My second thought relates to Miller’s successor, Senate President Bill Ferguson. Mukunda is not just running against King; he is effectively running against Ferguson too. If this message reaches Ferguson – and why wouldn’t King make sure it does? – that could result in aid from Annapolis to quell the Mukunda rebellion. This happened in 2022, as the Democratic Senate Caucus sent out negative mail against District 18 challenger Max Socol, who was running against Jeff Waldstreicher. Could that happen this time in District 39? And if slate money flows from Annapolis to King’s slate, could it be used to go after Acevero too?
One thing’s for sure: lots of eyes in MoCo, Annapolis and beyond will be on the District 39 campaign finance accounts in January.