If you believe the barrage of broadcast ads and mailers sent out on behalf of the three major Republican candidates in the 1st Congressional District, they?re all liberals.
“Who knew?” says Sen. E.J. Pipkin, 51, in his mocking response to the attacks.
Even a group backing Rep. Wayne Gilchrest, 61, the nine-term incumbent, keeps attacking his biggest spending opponent, Sen. Andy Harris, 51, as “a liberal” voting for pork projects and for state funds to aid illegal immigrants. Like most members of Congress or the state Senate, the three top contenders have cast thousands of votes over the years.
“If you voted for a budget, you probably voted for some kind of tax increase,” Gilchrest said. This prompted the conservative Club for Growth, which supports Harris, to fund ads accusing Gilchrest of voting to “raise taxes by billions” and supporting “hundreds of wasteful pork projects.”
Gilchrest also has supported new tax bills, such as last year?s farm bill and energy bill. He supported President Bush?s tax cuts. In his campaign ads, Gilchrest prominently features a photo of himself with Bush, who has endorsed his re-election despite Gilchrest being one of the House Republicans who often votes with Democrats.
Harris too has attacked Pipkin and Gilchrest as “two tax-and-spend peas in a giant liberal pod.” The criticism is based on Pipkin?s vote for the state budget last year, and his support of the flush tax to pay for Chesapeake Bay restoration.
Pipkin points out in his “Who knew?” response that he was actually the floor leader in GOP attempts to defeat Democratic tax increases and to cut more of the state budget during November?s special session.
Harris is the most conservative on social issues, opposing abortion and embryonic stem cell research. Harris has also garnered the most support from fellow conservative state senators and conservative political action committees, such as the Eagle Forum.
“Andy is the true conservative in the race” on social issues, foreign policy and fiscal issues, said Ellen Sauerbrey, former GOP legislator and nominee for governor.
Pipkin bills himself as the “Eastern Shore conservative,” who protects the Bay and lives on the shore, which makes up half the district.
Joe Arminio, 53, an economy author, criticizes all three as neoconservatives, following the policies of the Bush administration on the war and the economy.
A fifth candidate, Robert Banks, 38, who served briefly as an Orphans Court judge in Baltimore County, has raised less than $5,000 for the campaign.
“I really wish the gentleman from the 1st District was pro-life,” Banks said.
He said he got into the race because of that issue and Gilchrest?s support of Democratic proposals on the Iraq war.
1st Congressional District: GOP
Joseph Arminio, Wilmington, Del.
» Education: bachelor?s, Johns Hopkins University; Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology
» Career: author, defense consultant
» Funds: spent $7,113; loan $5,295
Robert Banks, Mount Washington
» Education: bachelor?s, University of Maryland Baltimore County
» Family: divorced, two daughters
» Career: vice president, sales and marketing, IT firm; special assistant to Maryland transportation secretary
» Funds: under $5,000
Wayne Gilchrest, Kennedyville, Kent County
» Education: bachelor?s, Delaware State University
» Family: wife Barbara; three children.
» Career: elected to Congress in 1990, defeating Democratic incumbent Roy Dyson; public school teacher.
» Funds: raised (this election) $567,192; spent $450,889; leftover cash $424,364
Andy Harris, Cockeysville, Baltimore County
» Education: bachelor?s, Johns Hopkins University; M.D., Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; master?s, JHU School of Public Health
» Family: married, five children
» Career: state Senate since 1999; chief of obstetric anesthesiology, The Johns Hopkins Hospital
» Funds: raised $1,097,618; spent $736,607; cash $361,009
E.J. Pipkin, Elkton, Cecil County
» Education: bachelor?s, Roanoke College; MBA, University of Virginia
» Family: married, three children
» Career: Wall Street investment banking firm
» Funds: raised $600,556; spent $504,691; cash $95,865; loan $548,000
