Del. Shank to challenge Munson for Senate seat

December 31, 2009|By ANDREW SCHOTZ

Del. Christopher B. Shank posted the following statement Thursday night on his Facebook page to say he's challenging state Sen. Donald F. Munson for his seat.

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WASHINGTON COUNTY -- State Del. Christopher B. Shank will take on incumbent state Sen. Donald F. Munson in this year's Republican primary.

Munson said Shank met with him for a few minutes Thursday to tell him about his candidacy, which Shank plans to publicly announce Jan. 8 in a campaign event.

"That's a common courtesy that any good human being would do," Munson said of the brief meeting.

Thursday night, Shank confirmed his intentions through a message posted on his Facebook page.

Other local Republicans have said in recent days that they've been invited to a Jan. 8 campaign event Shank is holding.

In his Facebook posting, Shank said his Jan. 8 formal campaign announcement will be at the Parkway Neuroscience & Spine Institute on Western Maryland Parkway in Hagerstown.

Shank wrote in his Facebook statement that he respects Munson's service, but Munson has abandoned conservative values in favor of "political expediency."

News of a likely Shank vs. Munson race has circulated in political circles for months.

Shank said over the summer that he was "very much leaning" toward challenging Munson.

Munson is seeking a sixth term in the Senate after four terms as a state delegate.

Shank's commitment to running for Munson's seat opens up Subdistrict 2B, where Shank is finishing his third term.

Republican Neil Parrott held a campaign kickoff event in September, based on the assumption that Shank wasn't running again.

At the time, Shank, who attended the event, hinted that Parrott's assumption was correct.

"I don't think I would have shown up today if I was going to in any way circumvent his plans," Shank said then.

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