November 13th, 2014 by WCBC Radio

The Maryland congressman who probably benefited most from the state’s partisan gerrymandering in 2012 has also become one of the strongest advocates for reform.  Representative John Delaney participated in a town hall meeting in on redistricting reform Monday night and said that he believes the issue has real potential for a state and national movement, saying its about “entrenched interests versus the interests of the people.” Delaney’s 6th Congressional District, which stretches from Potomac to far western Maryland, was redrawn in 2012 to make it easier for a Democrat to win. A wealthy bank CEO, Delaney defeated 10-term Republican Congressman Roscoe Bartlett that year, and narrowly held on to the seat last week in the closest race for Congress in Maryland, winning by just 2,200 votes and a shade less than 50 percent. For Common Cause and the League of Women Voters, the effort in Maryland, classified as one of the most gerrymandered states in the nation, is part of a national push to reform the system that helps produce the partisan polarization in Congress. Delaney said a common theme among constituents up and down the sixth district is that they are tired and frustrated with the stagnation caused by partisan politics and petty bickering between democrats and republicans in Washington. He said his personal efforts to reach across the aisle and achieve compromise was not lost on the voters last week: