Mia Mason, the veteran who challenged Rep. Andrew P. Harris (R) in 2020, endorsed former Del. Heather R. Mizeur (D) to take on Maryland’s lone congressional Republican Tuesday.
Mason secured the Democratic nomination to take on Harris in 2020 and had planned to run against him again in 2022, but recently dropped out of the race to focus on her family.
R. David Harden, a foreign policy strategist, is also seeking the Democratic nomination in the district.
Mia Mason
Mason threw her support behind Mizeur in a Tuesday Inside Out LGBT Radio interview, according to a press release.
“I have had a chance to witness Heather Mizeur up close and behind the scenes,” Mason said. “While we were competitors in this primary, she always shared my values of friendship and collaboration together, staying focused on our common goal of defeating Andy Harris and showing me and my wife extraordinary kindness and encouragement.”
Mason, a U.S. Army veteran, secured the Democratic nomination and ran against Harris last year, taking 36.4% of the vote against Maryland’s lone congressional Republican in the Nov. 3, 2020 election. Mizeur praised Mason as a “pillar of grit, determination, courage, and selfless sacrifice” in a Tuesday release.
Mason joins a slew of high-profile Maryland politicians in endorsing Mizeur, including U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D), U.S. Reps. Jamie B. Raskin (D) and Anthony G. Brown (D), State Treasurer Nancy Kopp (D), Baltimore County Executive John A. Olszewski Jr. (D), and former 1st District Congressman Wayne Gilchrest (R).
So far, Mizeur has outpaced Harris in fundraising. In the second quarter of 2021, she raised $357,000 — nearly double Harris’ $185,795, according to Federal Election Commission data. She has raised $717,445 since entering the race in January compared to the $425,122 Harris has raised in this cycle.
Mizeur reported $560,533.31 cash on hand as of June 30. Harris, who is seeking his seventh term in the House of Representatives, had more than $1.29 million cash on hand as of June 30.
Mizeur’s campaign said in a release last week that 87% of her donations from the second quarter of 2021 were from individuals who gave $100 or less. Harris has used Mizeur’s high fundraising figures in his own campaign materials. He called Mizeur a “prolific fundraiser” in a campaign letter after her strong first quarter tally.
By Bennett Leckrone
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