Grass-roots activists in Prince George’s County are trying to draft former Rep. Donna F. Edwards to run for county executive, a chance for the progressive populist to return to public life after a bitter defeat in the U.S. Senate primary last spring.
Edwards, who drew the backing of national women’s groups in her unsuccessful bid to become the first black woman in the Senate from Maryland, declined to comment on her plans for 2018. But county activists say she has been meeting with political operatives and gauging public support since returning in mid-April from a months-long road trip across the country.
Edwards’s supporters plan to launch the draft effort next week. Organizers pointed to what they said is a growing dissatisfaction with the current political leadership in the heavily Democratic county, including outgoing County Executive Rushern L. Baker III, who is term-limited and is weighing a run for governor.