With only a few days left until the primaries in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., the campaigns are stepping up their presence in the area:
The Potomac Primary became a little less crowded today with the withdrawal of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who made his announcement in Northwest Washington.
With only five days before the primaries in the District, Maryland and Virginia, the remaining presidential contenders have stepped up their campaign activity in the region.
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In the evening, Romney had been scheduled to head to the Baltimore County Republican Party’s Lincoln-Reagan Dinner at 6:30 at the American Legion Post in Halethorpe, but after his withdrawal it was announced that McCain will appear at the event instead.
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) is scheduled to appear at a rally today in Northern Virginia, while supporters of her rival for the Democratic nomination, Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.), are planning to campaign for him in Montgomery County.
Meanwhile, the Post’s Marc Fisher reports that former D.C. Mayor Marion Barry is endorsing Barack Obama:
D.C. Council member Marion Barry will endorse Barack Obama for president later this week. The former Washington mayor told me he has selected Obama because “he’s a fresh start, a new direction. I listened to him Sunday morning on C-SPAN and it was like a breath of fresh air.”
Barry, who remains popular in his Southeast Washington ward and in neighborhoods where longtime residents feel as if the city they grew up in is changing without them, said he was an early supporter of Bill Clinton back in 1992 and that he was “close to endorsing Hillary this time.” But as Barry has watched the campaign, he has concluded that Sen. Clinton represents older and less flexible forces in the Democratic party.
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Mayor Adrian Fenty has endorsed Obama as well, as have council members Muriel Bowser (Ward 4), Tommy Wells (Ward 6) and Yvette Alexander (Ward 7.) Council members Jim Graham (Ward 1), Jack Evans (Ward 2) and Mary Cheh (Ward 3) have lined up behind Hillary Clinton.
As embarrassing as Barry’s endorsement might be, it will be helpful in Ward 8.
