Republican Andy Harris? campaign for the First Congressional District released a poll Wednesday showing him ahead of Democratic nominee Frank Kratovil Jr. by 16 points ? 44 percent to 28 percent ? with Harris better known and viewed more favorably.
But Kratovil campaign manager Tim McCann pooh-poohed the survey?s small size ? 300 voters ? and said, “Our own polls show a very different picture.”
Harris? poll by Arthur Finkelstein & Associates was “rushed into the field” July 15 “to change the subject,” McCann said.
“Their fundraising is not going as well as they hoped,” because Harris loaned his own campaign $100,000, he added.
Harris? manager, Chris Meekins, replied: “We out-raised them again.”
The past week?s federal finance reports showed Harris raised $70,000 more than Kratovil in the last quarter ? not counting the personal loan ? and had $609,000 in on-hand cash compared with $454,000 for Kratovil.
“Andy has continued his fundraising juggernaut,” Meekins said. “We?re excited about the direction of the campaign.”
The poll, which has a 5.65 percent margin of error, showed most voters had heard of Harris, a Baltimore County senator, and 37 percent had a favorable opinion of him. Almost a quarter had never heard of Kratovil, the Queen Anne?s County state?s attorney, and close to half had no opinion of him.
Not surprising, McCann said, because Kratovil has yet to air any television ads.
“That?s because he has no money,” Meekins replied.
“We?ll have the resources we?ll need to compete,” McCann said.
The district includes the entire Eastern Shore plus parts of Anne Arundel, Baltimore and Harford counties.
Harris? camp is trying to play Kratovil as a leftist ally of Gov. Martin O?Malley and Democrats in Congress, while Kratovil portrays Harris as a combative social conservative.
“Frank Kratovil?s liberal positions and close ties to Gov. O?Malley are viewed negatively among Maryland voters,” according to Finkelstein?s analysis.
“Frank is an independent-minded Democrat who puts principle ahead of party,” McCann said, adding that he agrees with Democrats on some issues like the environment and with Republicans on issues like illegal immigration.
Harris has “got a record in Annapolis of not being able to work well with his own party, no less reach across the aisle,” McCann added.
