CUMBERLAND, Md. — Constituents of the state’s sole swing district got an August preview of Rep. April McClain Delaney’s campaign to defend her seat in 2026. And it will be shaped by the policies passed in President Donald Trump’s One Big, Beautiful Bill.

National sentiment has swayed against the legislation, with its myriad of policy changes and new provisions. And months of Democratic messaging against some of the bill’s cuts — to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, among others — continued over Congress’ summer break.

But in Maryland, how people feel about the bill will be most consequential in District 6, the state’s most competitive seat, where voters could help decide who wins the House majority in 2026.

What she’s saying

McClain Delaney’s approach hasn’t been full of firebombs. Whereas her Democratic colleagues in safe blue districts have delighted in denigrating the bill from the jump, designating it the “Big, Ugly Bill,” she has often chosen a more nonpartisan title for it that won’t immediately alienate voters on either side of the aisle: the “Big Budget Bill.”

The message that follows has been less subtle. McClain Delaney has characterized the bill as dangerous and reckless, saying that its cuts to social programs, such as Medicaid and SNAP, will harm families and hurt America’s future by adding trillions to the national debt.

“If something is totally egregious, I will call it out,” McClain Delaney told The Baltimore Sun, mentioning the Medicaid and SNAP cuts.

Republicans have rejected the characterization of the bill by Democrats, often pointing to the tax increase Americans would have faced if the bill hadn’t been passed and the 2017 Trump tax cuts had not been made permanent. They’ve also said that the changes to Medicaid and SNAP will strengthen the program for those who need it most by implementing work requirements and other new restrictions, while eliminating waste in federal spending.

State Del. Jesse Pippy, the Frederick County GOP chairman, told The Sun that some of the bill’s cuts have resonated well with people.

“The majority of Americans realize that something has to be done about the reckless spending,” Pippy said.

McClain Delaney started the last week of summer recess with a tour through the district, with stops in Frederick, Allegany, Garrett and Washington counties, culminating in a joint town hall with Sen. Angela Alsobrooks that spent time addressing how the bill could affect the region.

It wasn’t a campaign trip. But it did provide a chance for conversations about what’s going on in Washington, D.C. — and a chance to talk about the potential impact of Trump’s crowning legislation.

“Everybody — Republican, Democrat, Independent, wherever you are — they’re going to get hit,” McClain Delaney said. “And so, how are we going to deal with Medicaid, how are we going to deal with SNAP, how are we going to work together?”

The bill will cut roughly $1 trillion from Medicaid over the next decade. Beginning in 2027, enrollees will face more frequent eligibility checks and work requirements. The changes are projected to cause 11.8 million people nationwide to lose coverage by 2034, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Changes to SNAP will shift more of the program’s cost to the states, while adding work requirements for parents of kids older than 14. It’s unclear when the SNAP work requirements will be enacted.

Some of McClain Delaney’s visits were to facilities and industries that could directly or indirectly be affected as provisions of the bill are enacted. McClain Delaney visited three medical facilities on Monday during the first leg of her tour: UPMC Western Maryland, UPMC Center for Hope and Healing and Garrett Regional Medical Center. The One Big, Beautiful Bill reduced the amount of federal funding rural hospitals will receive as part of the provider tax rate cut.

What’s at stake

Western Maryland will likely be a competitive seat in the 2026 elections. The district isn’t on national blue-to-red watch lists. But unlike the state’s other congressional seats, it can’t be categorized as safe. However, this could change if Maryland joins the redistricting battle. Gov. Wes Moore said on Sunday that he’s actively looking at shifting Maryland’s map.

Although the district leans blue, the 2022 redistricting made it more favorable for Republicans. It was Maryland’s closest House race in 2024. McClain Delaney defeated Republican Neil Parrott 53% to 46.7%.

Parrott, a former state delegate, has filed to run again, along with political newcomer Chris Burnett.

The out-of-power party typically has an edge in the midterm elections. Trump is currently dealing with low approval ratings, particularly on the economy and high prices. And, despite struggling to find a consistent message on almost every other issue, Democrats have been persistent with their communication against the new law’s approaching policy changes. They’re hoping ripples from the big, beautiful bill will reverberate through next November.

Pippy thinks that effort will ultimately be in vain.

“The big, beautiful bill is one piece to a very large puzzle of what’s going on in Marylanders’ minds,” Pippy said. “That is a component, but it’s not the biggest (issue) that I hear,” mentioning the state’s energy troubles and high taxes.

“These are the kitchen table items that most people are concerned about,” Pippy added. “It’s the liberals that every day are trying to make everything about President Trump’s personality, they’re trying to make everything about, ‘Oh, the big, big beautiful bill!’ But that is not on every single CD-6 resident’s mind.”

But the cuts are a nuanced issue within the Republican Party, particularly for those who represent people who rely on the social programs for a leg up. While acknowledging the goal of ridding social programs of abuse and fraud, state Del. Jim Hinebaugh, a Garrett County Republican, said people could be influenced by hearing about the bill’s cuts to Medicaid and SNAP.

“It could because the public in general is concerned about it,” Hinebaugh said. “If part of the storyline is, ‘Oh, jeez, people are going to be kicked off snap, people aren’t going to have access to Medicaid,’ I would think people are concerned.”

“Are they going to vote Democrat because of it?” Hinebaugh added. “I don’t know. I don’t think so.”

It’s not often that a bill breaks into the mainstream of the public consciousness. Democrats have spent months working to ensure this one would. While Republicans worked to pass it, Democratic lawmakers began a bombardment of social media, television hits, op-eds, rallies, and town halls, pushing through a message about a legislative monstrosity that would negatively impact the middle and lower classes while enriching the wealthiest.

A focus on Medicaid

The bill stands as Trump’s signature legislative win, but its future Medicaid cuts aren’t popular with many constituents. McClain Delaney said Medicaid was the issue constituents raised most during the break.

“People are very upset about cutbacks to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program,” McClain Delaney said. “But I think in terms of the bill, it’s Medicaid and health care,” she said of her constituents’ top concerns.

There’s tension between the discussion of Medicaid cuts and their actual implementation. Changes to the program won’t kick in until after the midterms. So a central component of McClain Delaney’s message will rest on an issue that is worrisome but not yet tangible to voters.

Even though the cuts haven’t arrived, the issue was a frequent topic during McClain Delaney’s interactions with people in the district.

“They know it’s coming,” McClain Delaney said.

About 348,000 people in Western Maryland are enrolled in Medicaid. Roughly 246,000 Marylanders are predicted to be affected overall.

“We have to” figure out a solution, Mark Boucot, president and CEO of Garrett Regional Medical Center, told The Sun. “You can’t just drop off all those people.”

About 70 to 75% of the patients at Garrett Regional are on government-assisted health care. The majority of that is Medicare. Around 8% of current patients are on Medicaid, according to Boucot.

“We had somebody that worked here that did nothing but if you were uninsured, they would work with you to help you enroll in Medicaid if you met the criteria,” Boucot said. “But now, like, what do you do?”

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