Cockeysville

The campaigns of State's Attorney Frank Kratovil (D-Stevensville) and state Sen. Andy Harris (R-Cockeysville) reacted today to Wednesday's news that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) has added Kratovil to their Red to Blue program.

"I think it is an indicator that the Kratovil campaign is doing the right things and national Democrats believe Frank can win," Erik Gulbrandsen, communications director for the Kratovil campaign, told PolitickerMD.com.

Kratovil was among 14 candidates added to the program yesterday. The DCCC provides financial, strategic, and communications support to those candidates on the list with the hope of putting Republican seats in the Democratic column.

Believe it or not, the last day of the first half of the year is only two weeks away. In this immensely exciting campaign year, we now stand only 140 days away from Election Day. The close of June signifies the end of the second financial quarter, and the fundraising totals in Maryland's 1st Congressional District are vital to the hopes of State's Attorney Frank Kratovil (D-Stevensville) and state Sen. Andy Harris (R-Cockeysville).

In the first quarter of the year Harris raised $401,168.22 and had $205,688 cash on hand, while Kratovil raised $189,713.87 and had $182,058 cash on hand. Those figures were slightly skewed because of a $20,000 loan that Harris provided to his campaign fund. Harris was forced to spend significantly more than Kratovil in the final weeks of his successful primary, which led to the similar cash on hand figure.

Recently, Kratovil told PolitickerMD.com that his campaign would make "no projections" as to their second quarter fundraising abilities, saying, "We'll raise enough to be competitive."

Harford County Executive David Craig (R) was an early supporter of incumbent Rep. Wayne Gilchrest (R-Kennedyville) in his 2008 campaign for re-nomination.

"Wayne and I are close friends," Craig explained to PolitickerMD.com. "We've known each other since 1990."

Since losing to state Sen. Andy Harris (R-Cockeysville) in February's GOP primary, Gilchrest, a moderate, has been highly critical of the more conservative Harris, indicating that he will not support Harris' candidacy in Maryland's 1st Congressional District.

Craig, however, has made his support for Harris clear.

Democrats have not held power in Maryland's 1st Congressional District since Roy Dyson represented the Eastern Shore from 1981-1991. Rep. Wayne Gilchrest (R-Kennedyville) defeated Dyson in the 1990 elections, and has held the seat since, but when state Sen. Andy Harris (R-Cockeysville) defeated Gilchrest in the 2008 GOP primary, many Democrats began to focus on the district.

"I think this is the best chance we've had in years to reclaim the seat," Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Towson) of the 3rd Congressional District told PolitickerMD.com this past weekend.

The party's nominee, Queen Anne's County State's Attorney Frank Kratovil (D-Stevensville), "represents a very strong candidate for Democrats," Sarbanes said.

Del. D. Page Elmore (R-Salisbury) gathered a large group of supporters to celebrate his 69th birthday and do a little fundraising at the Somers Cove Marina in Crisfield, today. It was the delegate's fourth annual crab and pork feast.

"It gives me the opportunity to see a lot of my constituents," Elmore told PolitickerMD.com prior to the event. "It's the first crab feast of the year and people have been waiting for the crabs."

"We don't do a lot of political talk," he added.

The delegate, who is not up for re-election until 2010, said roughly 400 tickets had been sold at a cost of $40 per person.

Traveling across Maryland's First Congressional District, State's Attorney Frank Kratovil (D-Stevensville) listens as voters express their concerns on a daily basis along the campaign trail.

While residents may be weary and express skepticism on a variety of issues, Kratovil told PolitickerMD.com today that the sluggish economy carries the most weight on the minds of the voters he has talked to.

"People are very concerned," Kratovil said. "They see soaring gas prices and health care costs and are afraid they won't be able to afford to pay for their children's education."

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) reported having $45,274,642.96 in cash on hand at the end of April, according to reports filed yesterday with the Federal Election Commission, while the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) reported 6,734,530.11 cash on hand.

The stark difference could be significant in Maryland's First Congressional District, where state Sen. Andy Harris (R-Cockeysville) and State's Attorney Frank Kratovil (D-Stevensville) are expected to be in a competitive race.

Steve Meehan, deputy campaign manager for 1st Congressional District candidate Frank Kratovil (D-Stevensville), expressed confidence today that the campaign could financially compete with rival Andy Harris (R-Cockeysville).

Yesterday, we reported on Harris' confidence in his campaigns ability to "raise between 3 and $400,000" per financial quarter.

Comparing fundraising to "a game of golf," Meehan told PolitickerMD.com, "You have to continuously advance the ball."

Acknowledging that Harris "has been good" at raising funds, Meehan said he did not know if the campaign could draw-even with their opponent financially, but said, "We're working very hard."

State Sen. Andy Harris (R-Cockeysville) told PolitickerMD.com that he was "not concerned" about the lack of funding his congressional campaign is expecting to receive from the financially strapped National Republican Congressional Committee.

"I've always been able to raise funds in state Senate," Harris said, adding, "I've been near the top in money raised among Republicans."

The NRCC spent $1.27 million, nearly 20 percent of their cash on hand, on last Tuesday's special election in Mississippi's 1st Congressional District, where the Democratic candidate prevailed. The committee has spent more than $3 million, all in losing efforts, in its attempts to hold GOP seats in Illinois, Louisiana and Mississippi.

In Maryland's 1st Congressional District, state Sen. Andy Harris (R-Cockeysville) and State's Attorney Frank Kratovil (D-Stevensville) each held picnic-style events over the weekend charging roughly $25 a head for adults.

For Kratovil, the Sunday gathering came four days after a Chestertown-based fundraiser, which drew a crowd of roughly 40 people and netted just under $20,000 for the campaign, according to Campaign Manager Steve Meehan.

Meehan was particularly impressed with what he called a "mixed bag of Republicans and Democrats" that were present at the fundraiser.