Disclaimer: I'm volunteering for the Lichtman campaign

Last Saturday Allan Lichtman stood out in a straw poll conducted at a Democratic conference in western Maryland.  He beat out former congressman and NAACP President Kweisi Mfume for the second place slot, taking the lead in the pack challenging the DINO ten-term congressman Ben Cardin.   Cardin, who has the backing of party insiders, needed the support of a local AFSCME chapter to muster enough votes to win the poll.  Had the Cardin campaign not shipped in supporters to stack the deck Allan would have beaten him as well.  This is a truly impressive display for a first time candidate like professor Lichtman; who is running on the strength of his ideas and his passion for making politics work for ordinary Americans.

"If anything, I hope the results of this poll will prove to voters and the media in Maryland that I am a candidate with state-wide appeal," said Allan Lichtman. "My campaign is gaining support and momentum from people all over Maryland, and I will continue to reach out to the specific needs of voters all across state," added Lichtman.

"I think that Democrats in Western Maryland voted for Allan because of the way he personalized his message to meet the needs of their community," said Evan Goldberg, Lichtman's Communications Director. "Allan is the only candidate in the race with real plans to help people in all areas of the state. You certainly don't hear talk like that from Michael Steele or any of the established Democratic candidates," added Goldberg.