And the county makes up only one portion of his district.

"I see him at so many events," said Del. Pam Beidle, D-Linthicum. "It's just unbelievable that he has the time to attend as many Anne Arundel County events as he does."

As Mr. Sarbanes heads into Tuesday's election, it is essentially a referendum on his first term. He faces Thomas E. "Pinkston" Harris, a virtually unknown teacher from Baltimore.

Mr. Sarbanes' busy schedule may be a plus in his second election. Just two weeks ago, he was the guest speaker at the Northern Anne Arundel County Chamber of Commerce's Community Safety Awards.

Mr. Sarbanes said it's one way he keeps in touch with his constituents.

But it's not the only one. Since being elected to office, he has responded to 71,445 legislative letters from constituents, hired a responsive staff to handle the 3,000 requests his office received and sent out 30 of his electronic newsletters, the Sarbanes Standard, to its 11,513 subscribers, according to MaKeda Scott, the congressman's director of communications.

"With the first few months it was imprinted on me (that) listening is the No. 1 responsibility and requirement of the job and if I do that well, I'm pretty sure I'll do the job well," Mr. Sarbanes said.

Listening inspired him to author the Benefit Rating Acceleration for Veteran Entitlements Act, or BRAVE Act. He called it one of his proudest accomplishments from his freshman term.

The act, which had more than 100 co-sponsors on both sides of the aisle, would make it easier for veterans who are 100 percent disabled to get Social Security benefits. It is awaiting committee action.

"We've got to put more attention to assisting and supporting our veterans when they get back," Mr. Sarbanes said. "It's about making it easier for those who we ought to be giving top priority to. That is particularly important for a place like Anne Arundel County," he said.

Mr. Sarbanes is a Towson resident who represents 435,735 voters in a district that includes parts of Baltimore County, Howard County and Baltimore City. The district also includes parts of Anne Arundel County, including communities in Glen Burnie, Severn, Linthicum, Millersville and Annapolis.

"There's a very strong culture of support (in Anne Arundel County), that is in some ways reminiscent of some of our best days in the past when neighbor reached out to neighbor and you had strong volunteer engagement and civic engagement," he said.

Mr. Harris, Mr. Sarbanes' opponent, teaches special education in Baltimore City according to a Web site. He was unavailable for comment.

According to his Web site, Mr. Harris' platform is a war on the "eight deadly e's," which he names as energy, the economy, earmarks, early congressional retirement, enemies, equality, empty health care promises and evil lawyers.

Mr. Harris received a bachelor of science degree from Delaware State University and attended Coppin State University and The Johns Hopkins University for graduate studies. His Web site says he is tough on terrorism and Sarbanes is weak. It also says former Gov. Bob Ehrlich, a Republican, has endorsed him.

Michael Teitelbaum, who covers Maryland for Congressional Quarterly, said Mr. Sarbanes has voted 99 percent of the time in his first term with his party, which helped him get some things done. It also could pay off in the future.

"Being attentive to your constituents and getting basic stuff done as a freshman are really solid ways to move up the party ladder and get the respect of those who can help you fundraise and help you get better committee seats," Mr. Teitelbaum said. "That's a solid beginning."

In addition to the BRAVE Act, Mr. Sarbanes authored the No Child Left Inside Act, which passed the House, to encourage environmental education.

He thinks this would benefit the county by giving local groups more resources to get kids outside and involved in nature, he said.

Mr. Sarbanes was also the original sponsor of the Education for Public Service Act, which became law on Oct. 1, 2007. The act forgives federal student loans for graduates who work in the public service sector for 10 years.

"I've been lucky in this first two years to get the opportunity to do that," Mr. Sarbanes said. "Some of these things, we never imagined would pass, and they did."

He also won permanent authorization of the Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network in the House.

Another bill he authored, the Star-Spangled Banner and War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission Act, passed the House. It would create a national historic trail based on the events of June through September 1814, including the Battle of Baltimore and the burning of Washington, in preparation for the 200th Anniversary of the War of 1812.

"Baltimore may be at the center of an international celebration as the birthplace of the national anthem," Mr. Sarbanes said.

Mr. Teitelbaum said these things could help him if he seeks higher office.

"He can certainly point to these things and say, "Look what I've got,'" he said.

Mr. Sarbanes serves on the Education and Labor, Natural Resources and Oversight and Government Reform Committees. Of his 19 service academy nominations, 10 are currently attending the Naval Academy, The Military Academy at West Point or the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.

The 3,000 requests his office has handled since he was elected include Social Security, Medicare, passports, immigration, education, housing and mortgage assistance, tax assistance and federal employee issues. He said he hired a responsive staff and built a strong communication network to make sure his constituents' concerns are addressed.

Mr. Sarbanes also keeps himself in tune with constituents and out of the "bubble" of Washington, D.C., by commuting from his Baltimore County home to Washington every day when Congress is in session.

"You ... get back to hear what real people are talking about, which is invaluable," he said. "That keeps your head screwed on right."