Analysis: Wired primary in Western Md.

Wow, we’ve got a high-tech primary brewing in Hagerstown. You’ve probably read that House Minority Whip Chris Shank plans a challenge to longtime Sen. Don Munson in the Republican primary this year. It should be an interesting race and I’m excited to follow it … on Twitter.

It appears that both men believe their bases are going to be following the debate online. Shank announced his candidacy on New Year’s Eve via his Facebook page. Here’s the post, which makes clear that he plans a more formal event on Friday. Still, most of the media covering the news has noted his choice of a digital announcement.

So how is Munson going to respond? Well, today I got an e-mail notifying me that @SenDonMunson is following me on Twitter. He joined on Jan.3. I wonder if this is his social media response to Shank’s newsmaking method. He’s got eight tweets already and 28 followers. Not bad. Shank’s Twitter handle, @chrisshank, has 64 followers and 14 tweets. he’s been on since October, 2008. Munson’s Facebook page is here.

I know a lot of other lawmakers use Twitter, and Facebook. Here’s one Twitter list you can check out from the Maryland Chamber of Commerce. I’ll bet there are more. Send your info our way, and if you don’t know, we’re @MDReporter.

-Andy Rosen

About The Author

Len Lazarick

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Len Lazarick was the founding editor and publisher of MarylandReporter.com and is currently the president of its nonprofit corporation and chairman of its board He was formerly the State House bureau chief of the daily Baltimore Examiner from its start in April 2006 to its demise in February 2009. He was a copy editor on the national desk of the Washington Post for eight years before that, and has spent decades covering Maryland politics and government.

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