“I had to laugh because it was less that I lost, and more that I was completely gerrymandered,” he said in a phone interview on Wednesday morning.
Despite winning the Eastern Shore vote by a convincing margin, Ireton lost the primary to Harford County attorney Joe Werner by less than four percentage points and a little more than 2,000 votes.
“I will go down as the veteran politician from the shore who campaigned hard and lost to a guy who practically didn’t even leave his house the entire campaign,” said Ireton. “We outworked a lot of other politicians in the state and raised over $36,000 and came within two points of winning the most gerrymandered district in the state and arguably one of the most gerrymandered districts east of the Mississippi River.”
Still, Ireton was sure to assert that his disappointment shouldn’t be interpreted as bitterness despite coming up short in the primary and missing out on the race that he coveted against Republican incumbent in District 1, Andy Harris.
“I’m retaining and incredible sense of humor about the whole thing, but I am extremely grateful for the opportunity that I had to meet so many new people in and around the shore and throughout District 1,” said Ireton. “It was truly one of the best experiences of my life, and all that time in the car campaigning was well worth it, but yeah, it’s still a bummer in the end.”
A 2014 Washington Post study named Maryland and North Carolina as the two most gerrymandered states in the nation, and pointed out that “Maryland is proof that gerrymandering is not just a Republican pastime,” pointing to the fact that a Democratic majority redrew the district lines in 2012, especially making District 1 a Republican stronghold.
Congressman Harris told The Dispatch in an interview last month “The first congressional district is not a liberal district. It was drawn by the Democrats in the legislature to be a conservative district.”
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It just amazes me that a LIBERAL DEMOCRAT like Jim Ireton is complaining about ANY of the districts he and O'Malley screwed up around the entire state.
ReplyDeleteDo you believe for a single second Ireton didn't know the district well before he signed up to run in that district?
Ireton, you are the biggest liar and crybaby in the state of Maryland. You're fooling no one.
There will be NO 're election of this fool get ready to pound pavement cupcake.
DeleteJIM YOUR FIRED
DeleteThe districts were created in favor of the democrats!!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a sore looser!!!!!
The people have spoken Ireton as the saying goes don't go away mad just go away. All have had enough of the nonsense that goes with you. You were given an opportunity to make a difference instead you chose to act and react like an ASS. If you hadd utilized the position as mayor and city council to prove it was about the citizens and the betterment of all in the community this probably would have gone in a different direction. Instead there are constant reports of drunk disorderly sexual misconduct. Why would you want to continue to put yourself in the spotlight when you KNOW you're not capable of anything more than childlike adolescent behavior. Get some help man
ReplyDeleteDid he say gerrymandered or manhandled?
ReplyDeleteSome days your the dog some days your the hydrant Ireton!!! Your days of being the dog around here are and have over for a while. Move on!!!!
ReplyDelete"..who campaigned hard and lost to a guy who practically didn’t even leave his house the entire campaign.."
ReplyDeleteWhat does that tell you, jimbo? He beat you without even breaking a sweat.
Or, put another way, the voters were convinced that you were NOT the one they wanted.
Suck it up, cupcake. You lost fair and square.
Day your next whenever you get it your self proclaiming narcisitic mind that your state federal legislation material the facts will be uncovered and you'll be put in your place as well!!!
ReplyDeleteAll I can say is that Salisbury is laughing right with you Ireton. Or should I say "at you".
ReplyDeleteLook at it this way Jim...
Losing to a man that didn't campaign in the primary makes you the local laughingstock.
Losing to Harris by 60% would have made you a national laughingstock.
Ireton ran for one reason: to build a database pool for Jim Ireton. To all of you who voted for this self-serving jerk, note the part in the article about all the time he spent in the car. Since he also teaches, that means he gave about 20 seconds to the people he was elected to serve in Salisbury. You get the government you deserve, you Ireton supporters. Unfortunately, the rest of us get it, too.
ReplyDeleteThis is really amusing. A Maryland democrat complaining about gerrymandered districts.
ReplyDeleteHe likes to use big words to sound intelligent. Hey Jim, if they voted for a guy who never left his house to campaign, that means they don't like you.
ReplyDeleteI think it is pretty remarkable Werner won. Maybe Jim will take some stock. To lose like this is very humbling or I hope it is. Maybe it's a wake up call to tone it down. Stop running around town and causing a fuss. Stop the attention getting stuff.
ReplyDeleteFollowing in his mentor O'Malley's footsteps!
ReplyDeleteAfter you, yourself, gerrymandered the city where you were mayor so that you could become a council member afterwards? Incredible.
ReplyDelete11:46, You said it all in the fewest words.
ReplyDeleteI find it ironic that a MD democrat would complain about the districts that fellow democrats drew. Suck it JIM you are a looser!
ReplyDeleteWho is Gerry?
ReplyDeleteThis Gerrymandering needs to be outlawed, there are county lines already established, those should be the districts.
ReplyDeleteWomen hater, a lousy teacher, useless councilman first time, abysmal mayor, really useless councilmam a second time. A Delousional and confused candidate. Please go away we are sick of you and the idiots who voted for you. And i live in fruitland...
ReplyDeleteHe gerrymandered the CITY of Salisbury! I mean come on.
ReplyDeletehe gerrymandered our city so he & his buds could win our local council & mayoral elections.
ReplyDelete