Republican state Sen. Andy Harris beat incumbent Democratic Rep. Frank Kratovil for the second fundraising period in a row, adding to the election worries for the vulnerable freshman congressman from the Eastern Shore. Harris raised $324,000 to Kratovil’s $247,000 according to reports filed with the Federal Election Commission Thursday that cover the first quarter of 2010.
In 2008, Maryland’s 1st District chose Kratovil over Harris by fewer than 3,000 votes. Their likely rematch this year is expected to be the most competitive race in the state. Kratovil, D-Stevensville, still has a cash-on-hand advantage of more than $300,000. Overall, Kratovil has outraised Harris, $1.03 million to $704,000, according to FEC campaign to date figures. But Harris in the final quarter of 2009, Harris outraised Kratovil by about $30,000. That number grew this year with Harris winning the latest fundraising battle by more than $75,000.
Harris is currently also spending more than Kratovil. His campaign spent $117,669 in the first quarter, compared to just $68,855 spent by the Kratovil campaign. In the 2008 race, Harris spent more than $3 million while Kratovil spent almost $2 million.
Harris may have to first win a Republican primary this year, just like he did in 2008 when he ousted long-term incumbent Wayne Gilchrest before losing to Kratovil. Republican Rob Fisher, owner of an Eastern Shore cybersecurity firm, announced in March that he’s challenging Harris for the Republican nomination. Fisher kick-started his campaign by loaning it $115,000 and donating another $20,000.
Jessica Klonsky, Kratovil’s campaign manager, said Kratovil is more focused on doing his job in Congress than campaigning at this point.
“We feel very comfortable with where we are,” said Klonsky.
Harris said the latest fundraising numbers are a sign of his campaign’s building momentum. “Our campaign is picking up new support every day. Our ability to outraise the incumbent for the second quarter in a row shows that Marylanders do not approve of the path this Congress is taking,” Harris said in an e-mailed statement.
Not every fundraising race is as tight as Kratovil’s.
Sen. Barbara Mikulski, who’s facing a crowded field of six Republican candidates, raised $850,000, giving her an impressive $2.7 million in cash on hand. Campaign finance information wasn’t yet available for her challengers.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Mechanicsville, raised $424,600, bringing his cash-on-hand total to nearly $1.5 million. Hoyer’s most prominent challenger, Republican Charles Lollar from Charles County, got a bit of a morale boost by breaking $100,000 in fundraising for the whole cycle, but he still has a steep hill to climb in order to compete with Hoyer.
[By Graham Moomaw of Capital News Service]
geobart says
Can hardly wait for the negative ad season to return in full force…
George
Daniel Menefee says
Funny how this horse race is being chronicled as a clash of ideas instead of a clash of two like-minded men who want the same job. On the biggest reform issue in a generation, health care, Kratovil voted with the GOP, and he has voted over 200 times with the GOP, more than any other Democrat in the House. He does not represent even the center of the Democratic party and is a road block to the reforms under way by the Obama administration.
On the big ticket items, Kratovil and Harris are pretty much the same.
Matteasternshore says
Mr. Menefee,
That is about the most ridiculous statement I have ever heard, “on big ticket items, Kratovil and Harris are pretty much the same”.
that is so ridiculous, I am still laughing……
and still laughing…..
and still laughing…..
Daniel Menefee says
If Kratovil voted with the GOP over 200 times AND opposed health care, please explain how these two are candidates different? Laugh all you want, but at least clarify your response.
Matteasternshore says
Daniel,
Your liberal bias is blinding you. Kratovil campaigned that he is a man of principle, not of blind party allegiance.
He votes with his party approximately 80% of the time. Kratovil is a Blue Dog Democrat not a far right wing republican.
I realize you dont like Blue Dogs as they are not left enough for you, but get real, Andy and Kratovil as “like-minded men” that is comparing light to dark. Just because a cloud rolls by, nobody turned off the sun.
Stick around, you will see. Andy will start calling Frank every kind of liberal out there and you and I can both agree that Mr. Kratovil is not a flaming liberal!