Maryland elects its 1st Black woman to Congress

Jet, July 7, 2008 by Christina McGairk

"Voters wanted a positive and progressive change and I want to convince them that I can take on that challenge," says newly elected Congresswoman Donna Edwards.

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She recently was elected the first Black woman to represent Maryland in Congress by winning the special election in the state's 4th Congressional District.

A Democrat, Edwards beat Republican Peter James in the race to serve the remainder of former U.S. Rep. Albert Wynn's term.

Wynn, also Black, left office May 31 to start a lobbying job after losing February's Democratic primary to Edwards by 22 percentage points.

The 49-year-old told JET she pledges to protect workers' rights and to make health care more affordable.

Edwards will hold the seat until the end of 2008. James, 52, who won the Republican primary in February, will face off with Edwards in November's general election.

Edwards previously ran for the congressional seat in 2006, but lost to Wynn by a small margin.

She most recently led the nonprofit Arca Foundation.

--Christina McGairk with AP reports