WASHINGTON -- Maryland's contentious primary battle in the newly redrawn 6th Congressional District ended Tuesday night with 10-term Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R) securing the GOP nomination, keeping his re-election hopes alive in a seat that is considerably more friendly to Democrats.
Bartlett faced seven challengers. Among them was state Sen. David Brinkley, considered to be Bartlett's most serious opponent. Internal polls released by by Brinkley over the weekend showed an extremely close race. Brinkley came in second in the race.
According to the AP, Brinkley conceded to Bartlett, who finished with 44 percent of the vote.
The Democratic contest was more of an upset, with businessman John Delaney winning the race over Maryland state Senate Majority Leader Rob Garagiola, who enjoyed support from the state's Democratic establishment.
Back in October, the Maryland legislature approved a redistricting plan that reshaped the conservative 6th Congressional District to include parts of liberal Montgomery County, making it easier for a Democrat to win the seat in the general election.
Garagiola found an unexpectedly tough opponent in Delaney, who's said to be worth as much as $50 million and who gained some heavyweight backing of his own, like from former president Bill Clinton who recorded robocalls on the candidate's behalf.
Garagiola and Delaney appeared neck-to-neck going into what was expected to be a low-turnout primary. At the time Garagiola conceded the race, around 10:45 p.m., Delaney had taken 54.82 percent of the vote; Garagiola had taken 26.78 percent of the votes in the five-person race.