Ellen Sauerbrey

State Republicans gathered for the 18th annual Red, White and Blue fundraiser last night in Linthicum, the party's major fundraiser for the year.

Justin Ready, the party's executive director, told PolitickerMD.com that roughly 400 people attended the event. He said the MDGOP expected to raise "close to $100,000" for the evening.

"This is a big improvement from last year," Ready said. "We're moving forward."

Ehrlich in oilIt's time for PolitickerMD.com's Winner and Losers, and as Barbara Mikulski could attest lately, you win some, you lose some. Also: scandals account for two losers, while Al Wynn cashes in and Bob Ehrlich takes his place in history.

All in Maryland's Winners and Losers for June 6, 2008. | CLICK HERE

Esteemed political analyst Charlie Cook has some advice for Hillary Clinton: 'If you care about your future, don't pull an Ellen Sauerbrey!'

After a bruising contest that saw negative attack ads and arguments about contributions from Political Action Committees (PAC's), state Sen. Andy Harris defeated nine-term incumbent Rep. Wayne Gilchrest  and state Sen. E.J. Pipkin in the Feb. 12 GOP primary in Maryland's First Congressional District.

Since that time, Gilchrest has been highly critical of Harris, leading many to believe that he may endorse the Democratic candidate, Frank Kratovil. His longtime aide, Lynn Caligiuri, joined the Kratovil campaign in April as a finance coordinator.

Queen Anne's County State's Attorney Frank Kratovil (D-Stevensville) has presented himself to the voters of Maryland's 1st Congressional District as a moderate, much like the district's current congressman, Wayne Gilchrest (R-Kennedyville).

His opponent, state Sen. Andy Harris (R-Cockeysville) rejects the notion that Kratovil is a moderate, calling him a "Prince George's machine Democrat" during an interview today with PolitickerMD.com.

"The playbook of the national Democratic Party has been to run conservative Democrats in right of center districts," Harris, referring to recent national Democratic victories in conservative areas, said. "That will not work in Maryland's First Congressional District."