Donna Edwards challenger drops bid

Rep. Donna Edwards (D-Md.) can breathe a sigh of relief: a potentially formidable primary challenger, attorney Glenn Ivey, has decided to exit the race.

"A tough economy and a compressed election time-frame have made it tough for my campaign to raise enough funds to move forward," he said in a statement.

Edwards's district had been stretched by redistricting from her Baltimore base down to Washington, D.C.'s suburbs, where Ivey is from. He also had some Beltway connections, having worked for Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.).

The Maryland congresswoman is familiar with primary challenges: Edwards won her office by beating former Rep. Albert Wynn (D-Md.) in 2008.

The Progressive Change Campaign Committee, an outside liberal group backing Edwards, celebrated Ivey's decision.

"This is great news," said PCCC co-founder Adam Green. "Donna Edwards is a bold progressive leader and a true fighter for working families. We were proud to endorse her early and were ready to make this race a top priority. We look forward to working with Donna to ensure many progressive victories in 2012."