U.S. House, Maryland - 1st District
East -- Eastern Shore, part of Anne Arundel County
Race Forecast: No Clear Favorite
2008: Andy Harris (R) vs. Frank M. Kratovil Jr. (D)
2006: Rep.
This conservative-leaning district, an amalgam of mainly rural areas east of the Chesapeake Bay and suburban/exurban areas north and south of Baltimore to the west, typically is reliable for the Republicans, as evidenced by strong presidential showings by
Race Information
- Incumbent: Frank M. Kratovil Jr., D
- First Elected: 2008 (1st term)
- Last Elected: (%)
- Incumbent Status: Running for re-election
- Race Forecast: No Clear Favorite
District Information
Politics in America District Profile
The 1st includes the mostly rural Eastern Shore and some fast-growing Anne Arundel County suburbs across the Chesapeake Bay. It also crosses the Susquehanna River in northeastern Maryland and claims chunks of Harford County, including Bel Air, and Baltimore County.
The Eastern Shore, which holds about three-fifths of the district’s population, has a steady economic grounding in agriculture, relying mainly on vegetables, fruit and chicken breeding. The central, more rural, part of the Eastern Shore is solidly Republican. The northern counties, closer to Baltimore and Philadelphia, and southern counties, with larger black and working-class populations, are more Democratic, but do not factor heavily in elections. Ocean City is a popular beach town on the Atlantic shore that swells with visitors during the summer months.
Across the bay, the 1st includes some GOP-leaning parts of Anne Arundel, including the predominately white, educated, upper-middle class areas of Arnold, Severna Park and Millersville. Part of Baltimore’s conservative northern suburbs also are included in the 1st.
Despite regional differences, all of the 1st’s areas share a conservative bent that benefits Republicans. The 1st consistently supports Republican presidential candidates, and George W. Bush won 62 percent of the district’s 2004 presidential vote. Two statewide GOP candidates in 2006 — Michael S. Steele running for the U.S. Senate and Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. running for re-election — captured more than 60 percent of the 1st’s vote while garnering roughly 45 percent overall in Maryland.
Major Industry
Agriculture, manufacturing, tourism
Military Bases
U.S. Naval Academy/Naval Station Annapolis, 700 military, 1,533 civilian (2006) (shared with the 3rd District)
Cities
Bel Air South (unincorporated) (pt.), 35,353; Severna Park (unincorporated) (pt.), 26,646; Bel Air North (unincorporated) (pt.), 25,372; Salisbury, 23,743; Arnold (unincorporated), 23,422
Notable
Wild ponies roam Assateague Island, a barrier island on the Atlantic Ocean; Smith Island calls itself Maryland’s only inhabited offshore island in the Chesapeake Bay.
- Demographics (2000 census)
- Population: 662,062
- Under 18: 25%
- Over 65: 13%
- Married: 60.0%
- Non-Hispanic White: 85%
- Black: 11%
- Hispanic: 2%
- Asian: 1%
- Foreign Born: 3.2%
- Language other than English: 5.4%
- Median Household Income: 51,918
- Owner Occupied Housing: 79%
- Income above $200k: 3
- Workforce/Education (2000 census)
- White Collar: 63.3%
- Blue Collar: 22.8%
- Services: 13.9%
- Bachelor's Degree: 27%
- Graduate Education: 10.4%
- Civilian Veterans: 75,650
| Year | Election | Candidate | Votes | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | general | Frank Kratovil (D) | 173,008 | 49% |
| Andy Harris (R) | 170,854 | 48.4% | ||
| Richard Davis (LIBERT) | 8,632 | 2.4% | ||
| 2006 | general | Wayne Gilchrest (R) | 185,177 | 68.8% |
| Jim Corwin (D) | 83,738 | 31.1% | ||
| 2004 | general | Wayne Gilchrest (R) | 245,149 | 75.8% |
| Kostas Alexakis (D) | 77,872 | 24.1% | ||
| 2002 | general | Wayne Gilchrest (R) | 192,004 | 76.7% |
| Ann Tamlyn (D) | 57,986 | 23.2% | ||
| Year | Democrat | Republican | Independent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | John Kerry: 36% | George W. Bush: 62% | |
| 2000 | Al Gore: 40% | George W. Bush: 57% |
Campaign Finance Details for the 2008 Race
| Filers | Through | Total Receipts | Total Disbursements | Total From PACs | Total From Individuals | Ending Cash | Debts Owed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HARRIS, ANDREW P (R) | November 24, 2008 | $3,077,411.00 | $3,004,116.00 | $76,681.00 | $2,378,804.00 | $73,293.00 | |
| ALEXAKIS, KOSTAS G (D) | September 30, 2008 | $6,794.00 | $20,000.00 | ||||
| ROBINSON, CHRISTOPHER R (D) | September 30, 2008 | $122,533.00 | $122,452.00 | $91,003.00 | $333.00 | $63,709.00 | |
| SAMPSON, HARRY EDWARD (D) | January 9, 2006 | ||||||
| GILCHREST, WAYNE T (R) | November 11, 2008 | $710,612.00 | $1,016,013.00 | $49,158.00 | $504,757.00 | $2,659.00 | |
| KRATOVIL, FRANK (D) | November 24, 2008 | $1,984,707.00 | $1,932,661.00 | $86,000.00 | $1,367,925.00 | $52,045.00 | $82,316.00 |
| PIPKIN, E J (R) | September 30, 2008 | $1,076,499.00 | $1,074,115.00 | $69,163.00 | $2,384.00 | $988,000.00 | |
| ARMINIO, JOSEPH A PHD (R) | July 31, 2008 | $88,160.00 | $88,160.00 | $4,629.00 | $6,615.00 | ||
| HARPER, STEVEN F (D) | March 31, 2008 | $15,608.00 | $12,940.00 | $3,069.00 | $2,667.00 | ||
