"Patriotic."

"The people are very, very patriotic there," said the Baltimore County Democrat. "They care a lot about their families and communities."

On Tuesday, voters of Maryland's 2nd District will have a choice between returning Mr. Ruppersberger for a third term and electing a hometown challenger.

Orchard Beach resident Richard Matthews is the Republican candidate, running a race with far fewer funds and much less name recognition.

And Libertarian Lorenzo Gaztanaga is running.

Bob Hannon, president of the Anne Arundel County Economic Development Corp., said Mr. Ruppersberger, the former Baltimore County executive seeking a third term, has been an advocate for Fort George G. Meade and agencies based on the fort.

"He's participated in procurement events on behalf of small businesses, and is a strong advocate of our economic development programs. He has been very active," Mr. Hannon said.

Mr. Matthews has been endorsed by County Executive John R. Leopold, a Republican.

Mr. Leopold, a district resident, issued a prepared statement saying the challenger "shares my interest in fiscal responsibility."

The 2nd Congresssional District, with about 246,000 registered Democrats and 93,000 Republicans, encompasses sections of Anne Arundel, Baltimore and Howard counties and part of Baltimore City.

The seat represents about 107,000 residents in Anne Arundel, including residents in parts of Pasadena, Glen Burnie, Brooklyn Park and Severn.

Mr. Ruppersberger's campaign contributions exceed his opponents'.

Mr. Ruppersberger has received nearly $1 million in campaign contributions, about half of which came from political action committees, according to federal campaign finance reports. The Employees of Northrop Grumman, a defense giant that is also the state's largest private employer, has donated thousands to Mr. Ruppersberger's campaign through its political action committee.

Mr. Matthews has raised $10,600, mostly from individual donors.

Mr. Ruppersberger said Fort George G. Meade and the NSA are among his two priorities when bringing home funding for his district.

The Base Realignment and Closure process, new hires at NSA, expansions and the opening of office space on fort land for private companies, are expected to bring an estimated 22,000 new jobs and thousands of residents to the county.

Mr. Ruppersberger said his positions on both the House Intelligence and Appropriations committees allows him to help bring in money to prepare for those jobs, he said.

Late last year, Mr. Ruppersberger announced he'd secured $121,000 for the Center for Health, Science and Homeland Security at Anne Arundel Community College as part of the federal omnibus appropriations bill.

The money was for the expansion of programs in radiological technology, first responder training, criminal justice and homeland security management. The funds are also used to expand training opportunities with the NSA and Fort Meade as well as with Anne Arundel Medical Center, Northrop Grumman and BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport.

"It is so important that we invest in infrastructure," Mr. Ruppersberger said.

Voters may not have seen as much of Mr. Ruppersburger this year as they have leading up to other elections.

He's invited to functions and meetings all over the district, including in Anne Arundel, every night of the week. But he said he has had to decline most of them because of commitments in Washington, D.C., and elsewhere.

Mr. Hannon said he sees the congressman frequently.

"I was just with him on Friday. He spoke before about 250 businesses at an NSA business procurement event," he said. "He's at a lot of major activities around Fort Meade, and often speaks to various business groups."