Donna Edwards

Donna Edwards

Democratic Party

Prior offices

Superior Court of the District of Columbia

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U.S. House Maryland District 4

Successor: Anthony G. Brown

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Report an officeholder change

Compensation

Net worth

(2012) $30,635.50

Elections and appointments

Last election

July 19, 2022

Education

Bachelor's

Wake Forest University

Law

University of New Hampshire, Franklin Pierce Law Center

Personal

Religion

Christian: Baptist

Profession

Attorney

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

Personal LinkedIn

Donna Edwards (Democratic Party) was a member of the U.S. House, representing Maryland's 4th Congressional District. Edwards assumed office on June 17, 2008. Edwards left office on January 3, 2017.

Edwards (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Maryland's 4th Congressional District. Edwards lost in the Democratic primary on July 19, 2022.

Edwards ran for election to the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Barbara Mikulski in 2016. She was defeated by Chris Van Hollen in the Democratic primary.

Prior to her congressional career, Edwards served as the executive director of the National Network to End Domestic Violence.

Biography

Edwards was born in 1958 in Yanceyville, NC. She earned her B.A. from Wake Forest University and her J.D. from the Franklin Pierce Law Center. Prior to her congressional career, Edwards worked as an attorney, clerk, District of Columbia Superior Court judge, and executive director of the National Network to End Domestic Violence.

Career

Below is an abbreviated outline of Edwards' academic, professional, and political career:

• 2008-2017: U.S. Representative from Maryland's 4th Congressional District
• Clerk, District of Columbia Superior Court Judge
• Executive Director, National Network to End Domestic Violence
• Executive Director, Foundation for a New Democracy
• Executive Director, the Arca Foundation

Committee assignments

U.S. House

2015-2016

Edwards served on the following committees:

• Science, Space, and Technology Committee
  • Subcommittee on Space, Ranking Member
  • Subcommittee on Environment
• Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
  • Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings & Emergency Management
  • Subcommittee on Highways & Transit
  • Subcommittee on Water Resources & Environment

2013-2014

Edwards served on the following committees:

• Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
  • Subcommittee on Environment
  • Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics - Ranking Minority Member
• Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
  • Subcommittee on Highways and Transit
  • Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment
  • Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management

2011-2012

Edwards served on the following House committees:

• Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
  • Subcommittee on Highways and Transit
  • Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment
  • Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management

• • Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation Ranking Member
  • Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics

Key votes

114th Congress

The first session of the 114th Congress enacted into law six out of the 2,616 introduced bills (0.2 percent). Comparatively, the 113th Congress had 1.3 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the first session. In the second session, the 114th Congress enacted 133 out of 3,159 introduced bills (4.2 percent). Comparatively, the 113th Congress had 7.0 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session. For more information pertaining to Edwards's voting record in the 114th Congress, please see the below sections.

Economic and fiscal

Trade Act of 2015

See also: The Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, 2015

Trade adjustment assistance
On June 12, 2015, the House rejected the trade adjustment assistance (TAA) measure in HR 1314—the Trade Act of 2015—by a vote of 126-302. Trade adjustment assistance (TAA) is a federal program providing American workers displaced by foreign trade agreements with job training and services. The measure was packaged with trade promotion authority (TPA), also known as fast-track authority. TPA is a legislative procedure that allows Congress to define "U.S. negotiating objectives and spells out a detailed oversight and consultation process for during trade negotiations. Under TPA, Congress retains the authority to review and decide whether any proposed U.S. trade agreement will be implemented," according to the Office of the United States Trade Representative. Edwards was one of 144 Democrats to vote against the bill.
Trade promotion authority
On June 12, 2015, the House passed the trade promotion authority (TPA) measure in HR 1314—the Trade Act of 2015 —by a vote of 219-211. TPA gives the president fast-track authority to negotiate trade agreements sent to Congress without the opportunity for amendment or filibuster. Although the House approved TPA, it was a largely symbolic vote given the measure was part of a package trade bill including trade adjustment assistance (TAA), which was rejected earlier the same day. Edwards was one of 157 Democrats to vote against the measure.
Trade promotion authority second vote
After the trade adjustment assistance (TAA) and trade promotion authority (TPA) did not pass the House together on June 12, 2015, representatives voted to authorize TPA alone as an amendment to HR 2146—the Defending Public Safety Employees' Retirement Act—on June 18, 2015. The amendment passed by a vote of 218-208, with all voting members of the House maintaining his or her original position on TPA except for Ted Yoho (R-Fla.). Edwards was one of 158 Democrats to vote against the amendment.
Trade adjustment assistance second vote
The House passed HR 1295—the Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015—on June 25, 2015, by a vote of 286-138. The Senate packaged trade adjustment assistance (TAA) in this bill after the House rejected the TAA measure in HR 1314—the Trade Act of 2015. Along with trade promotion authority (TPA), which Congress passed as part of HR 2146—the Defending Public Safety Employees' Retirement Act—TAA became law on June 29, 2015. Edwards was one of 175 Democrats to vote in favor of HR 1295.

Defense spending authorization

On May 15, 2015, the House passed HR 1735—the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016—by a vote of 269-151. The bill "authorizes FY2016 appropriations and sets forth policies for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities, including military personnel strengths. It does not provide budget authority, which is provided in subsequent appropriations legislation." Edwards voted with 142 other Democrats and eight Republicans against the bill. The Senate passed the bill on June 18, 2015, by a vote of 71-25. President Barack Obama vetoed the bill on October 22, 2015.

On November 5, 2015, the House passed S 1356—the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016—by a vote of 370-58. The second version of the $607 billion national defense bill included $5 billion in cuts to match what was approved in the budget and language preventing the closure of the Guantanamo Bay military prison. Edwards voted with 134 other Democrats and 235 Republicans to approve the bill. On November 10, 2015, the Senate passed the bill by a vote of 91-3, and President Barack Obama signed it into law on November 25, 2015.

2016 Budget proposal

On April 30, 2015, the House voted to approve SConRes11, a congressional budget proposal for fiscal year 2016, by a vote of 226-197. The non-binding resolution was designed to create 12 appropriations bills to fund the government. All 183 Democrats who voted, including Edwards, voted against the resolution.

2015 budget

On October 28, 2015, the House passed HR 1314—the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015—by a vote of 266-167. The bill increased military and domestic spending levels and suspended the debt ceiling until March 2017. Edwards voted with 186 Democrats and 79 Republicans in favor of the bill. It passed the Senate on October 30, 2015. President Barack Obama signed it into law on November 2, 2015.

Foreign Affairs

Iran nuclear deal

See also: Iran nuclear agreement, 2015

On May 14, 2015, the House approved HR 1191—the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015—by a vote of 400-25. The bill required President Barack Obama to submit the details of the nuclear deal with Iran for congressional review. Congress had 60 days to review the deal and vote to approve, disapprove, or take no action on the deal. During the review period, sanctions on Iran could not be lifted. Edwards voted with 176 Democrats to approve the bill.

Approval of Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action
On September 11, 2015, the House rejected HR 3461—To approve the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, signed at Vienna on July 14, 2015, relating to the nuclear program of Iran—by a vote of 162-269. The legislation proposed approving the nuclear agreement with Iran. Edwards voted with 161 Democrats for the bill.

Suspension of Iran sanctions relief
On September 11, 2015, the House approved HR 3460—To suspend until January 21, 2017, the authority of the President to waive, suspend, reduce, provide relief from, or otherwise limit the application of sanctions pursuant to an agreement related to the nuclear program of Iran—by a vote of 247-186. HR 3460 prohibited "the President, prior to January 21, 2017, from: limiting the application of specified sanctions on Iran or refraining from applying any such sanctions; or removing a foreign person (including entities) listed in Attachments 3 or 4 to Annex II of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPA) from the list of designated nationals and blocked persons maintained by the Office of Foreign Asset Control of the Department of the Treasury." Edwards voted with 185 Democrats against the bill.

Presidential non-compliance of section 2
On September 10, 2015, the House passed H Res 411—Finding that the President has not complied with section 2 of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015—by a vote of 245-186. Section 2 of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015 required the president to submit all materials related to the nuclear agreement for congressional review. House Republicans introduced the resolution because two agreements between the International Atomic Energy Agency and Iran were not submitted to Congress. Edwards voted with 185 Democrats against the resolution.

Export-Import Bank

On October 27, 2015, the House passed HR 597—the Export-Import Bank Reform and Reauthorization Act of 2015—by a vote of 313-118. The bill proposed reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank and allowing it to resume offering assistance in the form of loans and insurance to foreign companies that wanted to buy U.S. goods. Edwards voted with 185 Democrats and 127 Republicans in favor of the bill.

Domestic

USA FREEDOM Act of 2015

On May 13, 2015, the House passed HR 2048—the Uniting and Strengthening America by Fulfilling Rights and Ensuring Effective Discipline Over Monitoring Act of 2015 or the USA FREEDOM Act of 2015—by a vote of 338-88. The legislation revised HR 3199—the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005—by ending the bulk collection of metadata under Sec. 215 of the act, requiring increased reporting from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, and requiring the use of "a specific selection term as the basis for national security letters that request information from wire or electronic communication service providers, financial institutions, or consumer reporting agencies." Edwards voted with 40 Democrats and 47 Republicans against the legislation. It became law on June 2, 2015.

Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act

On May 13, 2015, the House passed HR 36—the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act—by a vote of 242-184. The bill proposed prohibiting abortions from being performed after a fetus was determined to be 20 weeks or older. The bill proposed exceptions in cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother. Edwards voted with 179 Democrats against the bill.

Cyber security

On April 23, 2015, the House passed HR 1731—the National Cybersecurity Protection Advancement Act of 2015—by a vote of 355-63. The bill proposed creating an information sharing program that would allow federal agencies and private entities to share information about cyber threats. It also proposed including liability protections for companies. Edwards voted with 43 Democrats and 19 Republicans against the bill.

On April 22, 2015, the House passed HR 1560—the Protecting Cyber Networks Act—by a vote of 307-116. The bill proposed procedures that would allow federal agencies and private entities to share information about cyber threats. Edwards voted with 78 Democrats and 37 Republicans against the bill.

Immigration

On November 19, 2015, the House passed HR 4038—the American SAFE Act of 2015—by a vote of 289-137. The bill proposed instituting additional screening processes for refugees from Iraq and Syria who applied for admission to the U.S. Edwards voted with 134 Democrats and two Republicans against the bill.

113th Congress

The second session of the 113th Congress enacted into law 224 out of the 3215 introduced bills (7 percent). Comparatively, the 112th Congress had 4.2 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session. For more information pertaining to Edwards's voting record in the 113th Congress, please see the below sections.

National security

DHS Appropriations

Edwards voted against HR 2217 - the DHS Appropriations Act of 2014. The bill passed the House on June 6, 2013, with a vote of 245 - 182 and was largely along party lines.

Keystone Pipeline Amendment

Edwards voted in favor of House Amendment 69, which would have amended HR 3 to "require that the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, in consultation with the Department of Homeland Security, conduct a study of the vulnerabilities of the Keystone XL pipeline to a terrorist attack and certify that necessary protections have been put in place." The amendment failed on May 22, 2013, with a vote of 176 - 239 and was largely along party lines.

CISPA (2013)

Edwards voted against HR 624 - the CISPA (2013). The bill passed the House on April 18, 2013, with a vote of 288 - 127. The bill permitted federal intelligence agencies to share cybersecurity intelligence and information with private entities and utilities. The bill was largely supported by Republicans, but divided the Democratic Party.

NDAA

Edwards did not vote on HR 1960 - the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014. The bill passed the House on June 14, 2013, with a vote of 315 - 108. Both parties were somewhat divided on the vote.

Economy

Farm bill

On January 29, 2014, the U.S. House approved the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013, H.R. 2642, known as the Farm Bill. The bill passed by a vote of 251-166. The nearly 1,000-page bill provides for the reform and continuation of agricultural and other programs of the Department of Agriculture through 2018. The $1 trillion bill expanded crop insurance for farmers by $7 billion over the next decade and created new subsidies for rice and peanut growers that would kick in when prices drop. However, cuts to the food stamp program cut an average of $90 per month for 1.7 million people in 15 states. Edwards did not vote on the bill.

2014 Budget

On January 15, 2014, the Republican-run House approved H.R. 3547, a $1.1 trillion spending bill to fund the government through September 30, 2014. The House voted 359-67 for the 1,582 page bill, with 64 Republicans and three Democrats voting against the bill. The omnibus package included 12 annual spending bills to fund federal operations. It included a 1 percent increase in the paychecks of federal workers and military personnel, a $1 billion increase in Head Start funding for early childhood education, reduced funding to the Internal Revenue Service and the Environmental Protection Agency, and the protection of the Affordable Care Act from any drastic cuts. Edwards joined with the majority of the Democratic party and voted in favor of the bill.

Government shutdown

See also: United States budget debate, 2013

On September 30, 2013, the House passed a final stopgap spending bill before the shutdown went into effect. The bill included a one-year delay of the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate and would have also stripped the bill of federal subsidies for congressional members and staff. It passed through the House with a vote of 228-201. At 1 a.m. on October 1, 2013, one hour after the shutdown officially began, the House voted to move forward with going to a conference. In short order, Sen. Harry Reid rejected the call to conference. Edwards voted against the stopgap spending bill that would have delayed the individual mandate.

The shutdown ended on October 16, 2013, when the House took a vote on HR 2775 after it was approved by the Senate. The bill to reopen the government lifted the $16.7 trillion debt limit and funded the government through January 15, 2014. Federal employees also received retroactive pay for the shutdown period. The only concession made by Senate Democrats was to require income verification for Obamacare subsidies. The House passed the legislation shortly after the Senate, by a vote of 285-144, with all 144 votes against the legislation coming from Republican members. Edwards voted for HR 2775.

Immigration

Morton Memos Prohibition

Edwards voted against House Amendment 136 - Prohibits the Enforcement of the Immigration Executive Order. The amendment was adopted by the House on June 6, 2013, with a vote of 224 - 201. The purpose of the amendment as stated on the official text is to "prohibit the use of funds to finalize, implement, administer, or enforce the Morton Memos." These memos would have granted administrative amnesty to certain individuals residing in the United States without legal status. The vote largely followed party lines.

Healthcare

Healthcare Reform Rules

Edwards voted against House Amendment 450 - Requires Congressional Approval for Any Rules Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The amendment was adopted by the House on August 2, 2013, with a vote of 227-185. The amendment requires all changes to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act be approved by Congress before taking effect. The vote was largely along party lines.

Keep the IRS Off Your Healthcare Act

Edwards voted against HR 2009 - Keep the IRS Off Your Healthcare Act of 2013. The bill passed through the House on August 2, 2013, with a vote of 232-185. The bill would prevent the IRS and Treasury Secretary from enforcing the powers provided to them in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The vote largely followed party lines.

Social issues

Amash amendment

Edwards voted in favor of House Amendment 413 - Prohibits the National Security Agency from Collecting Records Under the Patriot Act. The amendment failed on July 4, 2013, by a vote of 205-217. The amendment would have prohibited the collection of records by the National Security Agency under the Patriot Act. Both parties were split on the vote.

Previous congressional sessions

Fiscal Cliff

Edwards voted for the fiscal cliff compromise bill, which made permanent most of the Bush tax cuts originally passed in 2001 and 2003 while also raising tax rates on the highest income levels. She was 1 of 172 Democrats that voted in favor of the bill. The bill was passed in the House by a 257 - 167 vote on January 1, 2013.

Issues

2016 presidential endorsement

✓ Edwards endorsed Hillary Clinton for the Democratic primary in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

See also: Endorsements for Hillary Clinton

Elections

2022

See also: Maryland's 4th Congressional District election, 2022

General election

General election for U.S. House Maryland District 4

Glenn Ivey defeated Jeff Warner in the general election for U.S. House Maryland District 4 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Glenn Ivey (D)	90.1	144,168
		Jeff Warner (R)	9.7	15,441
		Other/Write-in votes	0.2	400

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 160,009
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Maryland District 4

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Maryland District 4 on July 19, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Glenn Ivey	51.8	42,791
		Donna Edwards	35.2	29,114
		Angela Angel	5.7	4,678
		Tammy Allison	2.1	1,726
		Kim Shelton	1.6	1,354
		Greg Holmes	1.2	1,024
		James Curtis	0.9	763
		Matthew Fogg	0.8	663
	Submit photo	Robert McGhee	0.7	549

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 82,662
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Jazz Lewis (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Maryland District 4

Jeff Warner defeated George McDermott and Eric Loeb in the Republican primary for U.S. House Maryland District 4 on July 19, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jeff Warner	58.7	2,414
		George McDermott	26.5	1,091
	Submit photo	Eric Loeb	14.8	607

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 4,112
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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2016

See also: United States Senate election in Maryland, 2016

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated Maryland's U.S. Senate race as safely Democratic. In the U.S. Senate race in Maryland, incumbent Barbara Mikulski chose to retire, leaving the seat open in 2016. The election attracted a large number of Democratic, Republican and independent candidates. Chris Van Hollen (D) defeated Kathy Szeliga (R), Arvin Vohra (Libertarian), Margaret Flowers (Green), and several write-in candidates in the general election on November 8, 2016. Van Hollen defeated nine other Democrats to win the nomination, and Szeliga defeated 13 other Republicans in the primary. The primary elections took place on April 26, 2016.

U.S. Senate, Maryland General Election, 2016

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Chris Van Hollen	60.9%	1,659,907
	Republican	Kathy Szeliga	35.7%	972,557
	Green	Margaret Flowers	3.3%	89,970
	N/A	Write-in	0.1%	3,736
Total Votes				2,726,170
Source: Maryland State Board of Elections

U.S. Senate, Maryland Democratic Primary, 2016

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Chris Van Hollen	53.2%	470,320
Donna Edwards	38.9%	343,620
Freddie Dickson	1.7%	14,856
Theresa Scaldaferri	1.5%	13,178
Violet Staley	1.2%	10,244
Lih Young	1%	8,561
Charles Smith	0.9%	7,912
Ralph Jaffe	0.8%	7,161
Blaine Taylor	0.7%	5,932
Ed Tinus	0.3%	2,560
Total Votes		884,344
Source: Maryland State Board of Elections

U.S. Senate, Maryland Republican Primary, 2016

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Kathy Szeliga	35.6%	135,337
Chris Chaffee	13.7%	52,066
Chrys Kefalas	9.6%	36,340
Richard Douglas	7.6%	29,007
Dave Wallace	6.1%	23,226
Sean Connor	5.7%	21,727
Lynn Richardson	5.5%	20,792
John Graziani	4.4%	16,722
Greg Holmes	4.3%	16,148
Mark McNicholas	2.6%	9,988
Joseph Hooe	2.2%	8,282
Anthony Seda	1%	3,873
Richard Shawver	0.8%	3,155
Garry Yarrington	0.8%	2,988
Total Votes		379,651
Source: Maryland State Board of Elections

2014

See also: Maryland's 4th Congressional District elections, 2014

Edwards ran for re-election to the U.S. House in 2014. She won the Democratic nomination in the primary election on June 24, 2014. The general election took place on November 4, 2014.

U.S. House, Maryland District 4 General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Donna Edwards Incumbent	70.2%	134,628
	Republican	Nancy Hoyt	28.3%	54,217
	Libertarian	Arvin Vohra	1.5%	2,795
	Write-in	Others	0.1%	197
Total Votes				191,837
Source: Maryland Secretary of State Official Results

2012

See also: Maryland's 4th Congressional District elections, 2012

Edwards ran in the 2012 election for the U.S. House to represent Maryland's 4th District. On April 3, 2012, she defeated challengers Ian Garner and George McDermott in the Democratic primary. She defeated Faith Loudon in the November general elections.

Edwards was endorsed by the organization Progressive Maryland in her race for re-election in Maryland's 4th District.

General election

Donna Edwards, "Edwards On Hardball to Discuss Rep. Akin's Comments and the GOP's War on Women"

U.S. House, Maryland District 4 General Election, 2012

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Donna Edwards Incumbent	77.2%	240,385
	Republican	Faith Loudon	20.7%	64,560
	Libertarian	Scott Soffen	2%	6,204
	N/A	Other Write-ins	0.1%	363
Total Votes				311,512
Source: Maryland State Board of Elections "Representative in Congress"

Democratic primary

U.S. House, Maryland, District 4 Democratic Primary, 2012

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Donna Edwards Incumbent	91.8%	42,815
Ian Garner	3.1%	1,464
George McDermott	5.1%	2,359
Total Votes		46,638

Full history

To view the full congressional electoral history for Donna Edwards, click [show] to expand the section.

2010 On November 2, 2010, Donna Edwards won re-election to the United States House. She defeated Robert Broadus (R) in the general election. U.S. House, Maryland Distirct 4 General Election, 2010 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Donna Edwards incumbent 83.4% 160,228      Republican Robert Broadus 16.4% 31,467      N/A Write-In 0.2% 325 Total Votes 192,020 2008 On November 4, 2008, Donna Edwards won election to the United States House. She defeated Peter James (R), Thibeaux Lineceum (L), Darryn O'Shea Jackson (D), Steve Schulin (I) and Bobby Broadus (R) in the general election. U.S. House, Maryland District 4 General Election, 2008 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Donna Edwards 85.8% 258,704      Republican Peter James 12.9% 38,739      Libertarian Thibeaux Lineceum 1.1% 3,384      Democratic Darryn O'Shea Jackson 0% 28      Independent Steve Schulin 0% 75      Republican Bobby Broadus 0% 48      N/A Other 0.2% 453 Total Votes 301,431

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Donna Edwards did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Donna Edwards campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2022	U.S. House Maryland District 4	Lost primary	$1,150,818	$1,150,818
2014	U.S. House (Maryland, District 4)	Won	$573,482	N/A**
2012	U.S. House Maryland District 4	Won	$783,055	N/A**
2010	U.S. House Maryland District 4	Won	$672,650	N/A**
2008	U.S. House Maryland District 4	Won	$1,457,357	N/A**
Grand total			$4,637,362	$1,150,818
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Personal Gain Index

See also: Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress)

The Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress) is a two-part measurement that illustrates the extent to which members of the U.S. Congress have prospered during their tenure as public servants.
It consists of two different metrics:

• Changes in Net Worth
• The Donation Concentration Metric

PGI: Change in net worth

See also: Changes in Net Worth of U.S. Senators and Representatives (Personal Gain Index) and Net worth of United States Senators and Representatives

Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org, Edwards' net worth as of 2012 was estimated between $16,137 and $45,134. That averages to $30,635.50, which was lower than the average net worth of Democratic representatives in 2012 of $5,700,168.36. Edwards ranked as the 399th most wealthy representative in 2012. Between 2007 and 2012, Edwards' calculated net worth decreased by an average of 17 percent per year. Between 2004 and 2012, the average annual percentage increase for a member of Congress was 15.4 percent.

Donna Edwards Yearly Net Worth
Year	Average Net Worth
2007	$222,066
2012	$30,635.50
Growth from 2007 to 2012:	−86%
Average annual growth:	−17%
Comparatively, the American citizen experienced a median yearly decline in net worth of -0.94%.

The data used to calculate changes in net worth may include changes resulting from assets gained through marriage, inheritance, changes in family estates and/or trusts, changes in family business ownership, and many other variables unrelated to a member's behavior in Congress.

PGI: Donation Concentration Metric

See also: The Donation Concentration Metric (U.S. Congress Personal Gain Index)

Filings required by the Federal Election Commission report on the industries that give to each candidate. Using campaign filings and information calculated by OpenSecrets.org, Ballotpedia calculated the percentage of donations by industry received by each incumbent over the course of his or her career (or 1989 and later, if elected prior to 1988). Edwards received the most donations from individuals and PACs employed by the Public Sector Unions industry.

From 2005-2014, 23.05 percent of Edwards' career contributions came from the top five industries as listed below.

Donna Edwards Campaign Contributions
Total Raised	$3,704,884
Total Spent	$3,612,428
Top five industries that contributed to campaign committee
Public Sector Unions	$191,500
Lawyers/Law Firms	$186,247
Non-Profit Institutions	$184,500
Industrial Unions	$149,949
Misc Unions	$141,604
% total in top industry	5.17%
% total in top two industries	10.2%
% total in top five industries	23.05%

Analysis

Ideology and leadership

See also: GovTrack's Political Spectrum & Legislative Leadership ranking

Based on an analysis of bill sponsorship by GovTrack, Edwards was a far-left Democrat as of August 5, 2014. This was the same rating Edwards received in June 2013.

Like-minded colleagues

The website OpenCongress tracks the voting records of each member to determine with whom he or she votes most and least often. The results include a member from each party.

Edwards most often voted with:

• Jose Serrano
• Chris Gibson

Edwards least often voted with:

• Jim Matheson
• Randy Weber

Lifetime voting record

See also: Lifetime voting records of United States Senators and Representatives

According to the website GovTrack, Edwards missed 93 of 5,277 roll call votes from June 2008 to September 2015. This amounted to 1.8 percent, which was lower than the median of 2.2 percent among representatives as of September 2015.

Congressional staff salaries

See also: Staff salaries of United States Senators and Representatives

The website Legistorm compiles staff salary information for members of Congress. Edwards paid her congressional staff a total of $764,951 in 2011. She ranked 4th on the list of the lowest paid Democratic representative staff salaries and ranked 36th overall of the lowest paid representative staff salaries in 2011. Overall, Maryland ranked 11th in average salary for representative staff. The average U.S. House of Representatives congressional staff was paid $954,912.20 in fiscal year 2011.

Staff bonuses

According to an analysis by CNN, Edwards was one of nearly 25 percent of House members who gave their staff bonuses in 2012. Edwards's staff was given an apparent $25,000.00 in bonus money.

National Journal vote ratings

See also: National Journal vote ratings

Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of Congress voted in the previous year.

2013

Edwards ranked 1st in the liberal rankings in 2013.

2012

Edwards ranked 1st in the liberal rankings in 2012. There were 13 other representatives in the U.S. with this rank and none of them represented Maryland, making Edwards the most liberally ranked representative of Maryland for 2012.

2011

Edwards ranked 1st in the liberal rankings in 2011.

Voting with party

The website OpenCongress tracks how often members of Congress vote with the majority of the chamber caucus.

2014

Edwards voted with the Democratic Party 93.9 percent of the time, which ranked 74th among the 204 House Democratic members as of August 2014.

2013

Edwards voted with the Democratic Party 95.4 percent of the time, which ranked 17th among the 201 House Democratic members as of June 2013.

2016 Democratic National Convention

• Delegate to the 2016 DNC (click to expand)

  See also: Democratic National Convention, 2016

  Donna Edwards
  Democratic National Convention, 2016
  Status:	Superdelegate
  State:	Maryland
  Supporting:	Hillary Clinton
  Delegates to the DNC 2016
  Calendar and delegate rules overview • Types of delegates • State election law and delegates • Superdelegates by state

  Edwards was a superdelegate to the 2016 Democratic National Convention from Maryland. Edwards was one of 24 superdelegates from Maryland. Superdelegates to the 2016 Democratic National Convention were not bound by the results of their state’s primary or caucus to support a specific presidential candidate. Edwards supported Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination.Clinton formally won the Democratic nomination for president on July 26, 2016.

  What is a superdelegate?

  See also: Superdelegates and the 2016 Democratic National Convention

  Superdelegates in 2016 were automatic delegates to the Democratic National Convention, meaning that, unlike regular delegates, they were not elected to this position. Also unlike regular delegates, they were not required to pledge their support to any presidential candidate, and they were not bound by the results of their state's presidential primary election or caucus. In 2016, superdelegates included members of the Democratic National Committee, Democratic members of Congress, Democratic governors, and distinguished party leaders, including former presidents and vice presidents. All superdelegates were free to support any presidential candidate of their choosing at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.

  Maryland primary results

  See also: Presidential election in Maryland, 2016

  Hillary Clinton won Maryland's Democratic primary, defeating Bernie Sanders by nearly 30 percent. In a CNN exit poll, Clinton swept voters over age 30 while Sanders swept voters age 18 to 29. The same exit poll showed that Clinton had the support of 73 percent of black respondents and 54 percent of white respondents. Clinton also won the support of voters at all income and education levels, according to exit polls.

  Maryland Democratic Primary, 2016
  Candidate	Vote %	Votes	Delegates
  Hillary Clinton	62.5%	573,242	60
  Bernie Sanders	33.8%	309,990	35
  Roque De La Fuente	0.4%	3,582	0
  Other	3.3%	29,949	0
  Totals		916,763	95
  Source: The New York Times and Maryland Secretary of State

  Delegate allocation

  See also: 2016 presidential nominations: calendar and delegate rules

  

  Maryland had 120 delegates at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. Of this total, 96 were pledged delegates. National party rules stipulated how Democratic delegates in all states were allocated. Pledged delegates were allocated to a candidate in proportion to the votes he or she received in a state's primary or caucus. A candidate was eligible to receive a share of the state's pledged delegates if he or she won at least 15 percent of the votes cast in the primary or caucus. There were three types of pledged Democratic delegates: congressional district delegates, at-large delegates, and party leaders and elected officials (PLEOs). Congressional district delegates were allocated proportionally based on the primary or caucus results in a given district. At-large and PLEO delegates were allocated proportionally based on statewide primary results.

  Twenty-four party leaders and elected officials served as unpledged delegates. These delegates were not required to adhere to the results of a state's primary or caucus.

Personal

Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Edwards lives in Fort Washington, Maryland. She has a grown son.

Recent news

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Candidate

U.S. House Maryland District 4

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Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Al Wynn	U.S. House of Representatives - Maryland, District 4 2008–2017	Succeeded by Anthony Brown (D)

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Maryland's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Angela Alsobrooks (D)

Chris Hollen (D)

Representatives

District 1

Andrew Harris (R)

District 2

John Olszewski (D)

District 3

Sarah Elfreth (D)

District 4

Glenn Ivey (D)

District 5

Steny Hoyer (D)

District 6

April McClain-Delaney (D)

District 7

Kweisi Mfume (D)

District 8

Jamie Raskin (D)

Democratic Party (9)

Republican Party (1)