Erik Gulbrandsen

State Sen. Andy Harris (R-Cockeysville) announced his energy plan during a speech before the Salisbury Chamber of Commerce this afternoon. The GOP nominee in Maryland's 1st Congressional District, Harris, a physician, called his proposal a "prescription for the pain at the pump," pledging to "take the lead in fighting against these out of control gas prices."

"Working families should not be forced to decide whether to fill up the gas tank or put food on their table," Harris said.

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.

Appearing as a guest on the Delmarva Today radio show June 13, State's Attorney Frank Kratovil (D-Stevensville), a Democrat running in the 1st Congressional District, expressed his opposition to lifting a federal ban on offshore oil drilling, calling instead for the country to use "what we have now."

Today, Kratovil Communications Director Erik Gulbrandsen told PolitickerMD.com that Kratovil supports two pieces of recently introduced congressional legislation, the Responsible Ownership of Public Lands Act and the Responsible Federal Oil and Gas Lease Act of 2008, which, according to House Democrats, would "compel oil companies to utilize the 68 million acres onshore and offshore that are being leased by big oil companies, but not used to produce energy."

According to a new poll just released, state Sen. Andy Harris (R-Cockeysville) leads State's Attorney Frank Kratovil (D-Stevensville) by nine points in Maryland's First Congressional District, Harris was favored by 43 percent of respondents, while Kratovil garnered 34 percent, with 23 percent undecided. Kratovil, however, led by a margin of 45-38 among the 25 percent of respondents who recognized the candidate's names.

An internal Kratovil poll, the survey was conducted by the The Garin-Hart-Yang Research Group among 400 likely voters from April 23-24 and comes with a 5-point margin of error.

Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Kensington), the chairman of the 2008 Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), was the honorary host of a fundraiser held on behalf of congressional candidate and State’s Attorney Frank Kratovil (D-Stevensville) at Cottingham Farm in Easton, this evening.

Kratovil will face Andy Harris (R-Cockeysville) in the November election in Maryland’s First Congressional District.

Speaking with PolitickerMD.com, Van Hollen called Kratovil a “terrific candidate” who “fits the political temperament of the district” and has a “good chance” of winning.

“We will do everything we can to support his effort,” Van Hollen said of the DCCC.

Erik Gulbrandsen, Kratovil’s communications director, said he did not know how much money the campaign expected to raise from the event, but said the cost was $250 per person.

On the fundraising question, Kratovil told PolitickerMD.com that he was pleased with the recent numbers from the first financial quarter reports, saying, “We’re dead even in cash on hand.”