1st District

WYE MILLS - Congressional candidates Andy Harris and Frank Kratovil sparred over taxes, regulation and the truthfulness of advertisements yesterday in a final debate that matched the contentious tone of their relentless campaign commercials. In the sharpest exchange, Kratovil called a Harris ad a "lie" because it contains a Kratovil quotation on the financial crisis that was later corrected by the newspaper that first reported it. Harris stood by the ad, saying, "The quote is accurate."

Amid the outrageous rancor and hyper-partisanship of contemporary Washington, the Eastern Shore's Wayne T. Gilchrest is a throwback to the founders' concept of citizen legislators. For 18 years, the former schoolteacher has thought for himself and boldly followed a course of his own choosing, right of center on some issues, veering left on others. Few in the GOP have been as strong on environmental causes, a fitting approach for a congressional district geographically centered on the Chesapeake Bay. At a time when such statesmanship is needed more than ever, it would be a disservice not only to the residents of Maryland's sprawling 1st Congressional District but also to the nation to replace him with a rigid doctrinaire or someone who is not well-qualified for the post.

Maryland, we have ourselves a race. In a district that covers some of the most conservative terrain in the state, Republican Andy Harris is fighting off surging Democrat Frank Kratovil in a race shaped by aggressive advertising, a steep drop in fortunes for Harris' party nationwide and lots of outside money. The Eastern Shore-based district, which sent Rep. Wayne T. Gilchrest to Washington nine times, was considered safe for the Republicans as recently as February. But Democrats now see a shot at picking up their seventh of Maryland's eight House seats.

Maryland, we have ourselves a race. In a district that covers some of the most conservative terrain in the state, Republican Andy Harris is fighting off surging Democrat Frank Kratovil in a race shaped by aggressive advertising, a steep drop in fortunes for Harris' party nationwide and lots of outside money. The Eastern Shore-based district, which sent Rep. Wayne T. Gilchrest to Washington nine times, was considered safe for the Republicans as recently as February. But Democrats now see a shot at picking up their seventh of Maryland's eight House seats.

1 Rep. Wayne T. Gilchrest, ousted after nine terms in a bitter Republican primary campaign last winter, will cross party lines today to endorse Democrat Frank M. Kratovil Jr. in the 1st Congressional District. A senior member of Gilchrest's staff confirmed yesterday that the veteran lawmaker - who earned a reputation as a staunch environmentalist who frequently clashed with Republican Party leaders - will join Kratovil, an Eastern Shore prosecutor, at appearances today in Annapolis and Easton.

No matter one's position on wind power, it's difficult not to get blown away by the audacity of 1st District congressional candidate Andy Harris' latest TV ad promoting his national energy plan. His newfound affection for conservation and alternative energy sources, including "wind, solar and biofuel," is in stark contrast to his voting record in Annapolis. The Republican state senator voted against several alternative energy bills during the last session, including Gov. Martin O'Malley's proposal to require utilities to buy a greater percentage of power from renewable sources.

Emboldened by recent victories in districts across the country that had long been safe bets for Republicans, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced yesterday that it would throw its financial and staffing resources behind Maryland candidate Frank Kratovil Jr. The national support bolsters the hopes of local Democrats that they have a shot at winning in Maryland's 1st Congressional District, which has been held by Rep. Wayne T. Gilchrest...

Voters in Maryland's 1st Congressional District have a habit of sending people to Congress with a fondness for the Chesapeake Bay, from former Interior Secretary Rogers C.B. Morton to Wayne T. Gilchrest. The latest Republican vying for that seat, Andy Harris, has an abysmal score on a leading environmental "report card," which he claims is unfair and political. Specifically, the Baltimore County state senator says the Maryland League of Conservation Voters, the nonprofit group that each year rates environmental voting records in Annapolis, has included legislation allowing voters to cast their ballots ahead of Election Day. Mr. Harris has a point.

Still angry about this winter's bitter GOP primary, the chief fundraiser for Republican Congressman Wayne T. Gilchrest announced yesterday she will join the campaign of the Democratic challenger for Maryland's open 1st District. Lynn Caligiuri, who has been raising money for Gilchrest for the past decade, will now work against state Sen. Andy Harris, who unseated the nine-term incumbent by more than 10 points. She is also the wife of Gilchrest's chief of staff, who has appeared at an event for Republicans supporting Queen Anne's County State's Attorney Frank Kratovil Jr. Kratovil's campaign -- which faces an uphill battle in a district where voting patterns tilt toward the GOP -- is also set to gain help from the House's second-ranking Democrat, Rep. Steny H. Hoyer.

As friends tell it, E.J. Pipkin was like a relentless force when he exploded onto the political scene in 1999. Democrats across the state had quietly given their support to an effort to dump silt dredged from shipping channels at a site off Kent Island, and Pipkin, a former Wall Street bond trader, would have none of it. He bankrolled an advocacy group and was known to stay up all night long reading dense impact reports from the U.S. Army Corps of...