Divorce Scandal Erupts In Maryland Rep. Albert Wynn's Re-Election Campaign

Jet, Sept 18, 2000

Maryland Rep. Albert R. Wynn, who prides himself as representing "the country's only majority African-American suburban district" found himself the object of political turmoil.

Representing Maryland's Fourth District for the past eight years, Rep. Wynn established a commendable record, championing affirmative action, job expansion and anti-crime programs. Wynn represents a predominantly Black district situated at the eastern edge of Washington, D.C.

However, when hundreds of his constituents received telephone calls from his wife, urging them to vote for his White Republican opponent for Congress, the peaceful campaign was suddenly upended.

For more than a month, the following message was reportedly telephoned daily to 1,000 voters:

"Hi. This is Jessie Wynn--wife of Congressman Albert Wynn. Albert Wynn does not respect Black women. He left me for a White woman. Please send your donations to Kimble For Congress. Please help us defeat Albert Wynn."

Candidate John Kimble was no newcomer to the district's politics. He had run in both 1996 and 1998 unsuccessfully for the Wynn seat. Wynn easily beat Kimble with 85 percent of the vote in 1996 and with 86 percent in 1998.

He asked Mrs. Wynn to join his negative campaign effort two months ago, explaining, "People tell me if I don't get down and roll in the mud, I'll never get elected."

Mrs. Wynn, who has a 6-year-old daughter with Rep. Wynn, not only joined Kimble's campaign, she has become his campaign chairwoman.

Kimble, who in 1996 offered to pose nude for a million dollars, complained that the district's large majority Black vote made it "unwinnable for a White candidate."

Rep. Wynn told the Washington Post that it was a "sad situation," that evolved out of a bitter divorce. "Hell hath no fury," he said.

In a press statement, he said, "Their (Kimble's campaign) tactics speak for themselves." He noted, "My campaign will continue to focus on the issues."

Venus Watkins, a spokeswoman for Wynn, added, "He's just going to be focusing on protecting his daughter from any unwanted publicity from this situation."

Kimble believes having Mrs. Wynn in his camp will help him win.

"When she was dating Albert, he was running for Congress," Kimble said in the Chicago Tribune. "She gave him the motivation to get out there. She does that for me. She says, `He's not a nice man. He is not a friendly teddy bear. You have to go out there and attack.'"

Rep. Wynn filed for divorce in July 1999 and later Mrs. Wynn filed a counterclaim for divorce.

Mrs. Wynn has not been available to the news media but was reported to have tried to sell her story to a magazine.