1st District race too close to call a winner

The blistering 1st District race for Congress was still too close to call early Wednesday morning, as Democratic Queen Anne’s County State’s Attorney Frank Kratovil led state Sen. Andy Harris by a slim margin with plenty of absentee ballots remaining.

“Every single indicator that we have gotten has been a positive one,” said Kevin Lawlor, a spokesman for Mr. Kratovil, whose campaign picked up momentum in the final weeks. “We have no reason to be anything but excited right now.”

Chris Meekins, the campaign manager for Dr. Harris, was unavailable for comment.With 44 of 47 precincts reporting to the Anne Arundel County Board of Elections, Dr. Harris was leading with 28,373 votes to Mr. Kratovil’s 25,523, with Libertarian candidate Richard Davis receiving 1,357 tallies.

Mr. Kratovil won Queen Anne’s County by 11,545 votes to 9,457 for Dr. Harris, with Mr. Davis standing at 368 votes, according to the county Board of Elections.The close margin means one of the most competitive — and ugly — campaigns in recent memory will probably continue in the district, which covers the Eastern Shore and parts of Anne Arundel, Baltimore and Harford counties.

For months, the two opponents traded verbal punches in public, on the Internet, and in television advertisements, pumping huge sums of money into a divisive race which oftentimes centered on personal credibility rather than policy.

There are 31,766 absentee ballots in the district, according to the State Board of Elections, with 13,781 Democrats, 13,637 Republicans, and 4,348 other voters left to be counted. The first absentee ballot canvass takes place tomorrow.

The district doesn’t have a recent history of strict partisan voting. Despite a slight Democratic edge in total registered voters, deposed Republican U.S. Rep. Wayne Gilchrest swept to easy victory in the last two elections, with 68.8 percent of the vote in 2006 and 76 percent of the vote in 2004.

The drama began in February, when Dr. Harris crushed Mr. Gilchrest the Republican primary, lambasting the nine-term incumbent as out-of-step with a conservative constituency.

The congressman — who has attracted attention for splits with the Republican party line, such as turning against the Iraq War, and recently admitted to voting for Democratic Gov. Martin O’Malley in 2006 — went on to endorse Mr. Kratovil. The Harris camp has said their attempts to reach out to incumbent were rebuffed.

In the last month, campaign vitriol centered around ads from Dr. Harris that used a quote from The Daily Times in Salisbury to make Mr. Kratovil appear inept. The statement — that Congress “solved” the ongoing economic crisis by passing a $700 billion bailout — was later corrected by the newspaper as being out of context, but Dr. Harris remained resolute, refusing to go back on the ad even when confronted by his opponent in public in a debate.

The Harris campaign posted a heavily edited audio clip on its Web site following the debate, but the clip, like the initial newspaper article, was selective. The posting failed to include the candidate’s full statement that shows the words were part of a broader, conceptual point about how the federal government neglects the roots of problems once an immediate crisis is ended.

Mr. Kratovil was not a wallflower to the political punching, however. He has labeled Dr. Harris’ ideas as “way out there,” and tried to paint the Republican as a fringe politician who oftentimes stands alone as a red light on the state senate voting board.

Other districts

Third-term Democratic Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger defeated Republican Richard P. Matthews and Libertarian Lorenzo Gaztanaga in the 2nd District, covering sections of Anne Arundel, Harford and Baltimore counties and part of Baltimore city.

In Anne Arundel County, with 91 percent of the precincts reporting Mr. Ruppersberger took 12,596 votes or 61 percent to Orchard Beach resident Richard Matthews’ 7,302 votes or 36 percent. Lorenzo Gaztanaga was a distant third with 3 percent of the county vote.

Mr. Matthews, 28, a self-styled Ron Paul Republican, said he learned a lot from his campaign, though he acknowledged that he was at a disadvantage in name recognition and funding.

He said he sees himself continuing to say active in Maryland politics, though he doesn’t know about another run for Congress.

“I’m encouraged so far. A lot of my Republican colleagues were doing better than me (in their races),” Mr. Matthews said, speaking from his neighborhood in Glen Burnie. “It’s just not a good night for Republicans.”

In the 3rd District, representing sections of Baltimore city and parts of Anne Arundel, Howard and Baltimore counties, freshman Democratic Rep. John P. Sarbanes defeated Republican insurance broker Thomas Harris.

In Anne Arundel County, with 97 percent of precincts counted, Mr. Sarbanes won 26,808 votes or 62 percent compared to Baltimore City teacher Thomas Harris’ 15,993 votes or 37 percent.

Mr. Sarbanes spoke excitedly last night not only of his win, but of U.S. Sen. Barack Obama’s historic win.

“We are all just thrilled about what has happened,” Mr. Sarbanes said, calling from his house in Baltimore. “Democrats will have a friend in the White House now, and I am confident that President-elect Obama will work with Republicans and Independents and Democrats to address the issues ahead of us.”

In the other congressional contest that touched on Anne Arundel County, 5th District Democratic incumbent Steny H. Hoyer won a 15th term. He defeated Republican Collins Bailey and Libertarian Darlene Nichols.

Elsewhere in Maryland, eight-term Republican incumbent Roscoe G. Bartlett defeated former Frederick mayor Jennifer P. Dougherty in the 6th District.

Democrat Donna Edwards won her first full term in the 4th District seat representing many of Washington’s eastern and northern suburbs. She beat Republican Peter James and Libertarian Thibeaux Lincecum.

Voters in the 7th District re-elected Democratic Rep. Elijah E. Cummings to a seventh term in the seat representing much of Baltimore city and parts of Baltimore and Howard counties. Cummings defeated Republican Michael Hargadon and Libertarian Ronald Owens-Bey.

In the 8th District, Democratic Rep. Chris Van Hollen won a fourth term by defeating Republican Steve Hudson, Green Party candidate Gordon Clark and Libertarian Ian Thomas.

Staff Writer Allison Bourg and the Associated Press contributed to this story.

lfarrell@capitalgazette.com