Five Republican state senators, the House of Delegates GOP leader and former Gov. Robert Ehrlich?s top fundraiser all are lining up to support Sen. Andy Harris? bid to unseat Rep. Wayne Gilchrest, the nine-term congressman in the 1st Congressional District.
Gilchrest, a moderate Republican and Vietnam War veteran, has long had opposition from the conservative wing of his party, but his recent votes to join Democrats in setting a timetable for a pullout in Iraq have infuriated members of his party.
Del. Tony O?Donnell, Calvert, the House Republican leader and a Navy veteran, said he has long disagreed with Gilchrest on many issues. But when he was one of only two Republicans to oppose President Bush?s stand, “that was the straw that broke the camel?s back,” O?Donnell said.
“I believe the worst thing we can do is to declare premature defeat in the war on terrorism by setting a timetable for that declaration of defeat,” O?Donnell said. “People are crying out for more leadership and not political expediency,” which is how he sees Gilchrest?s votes on the war.
Dick Hug, who helped Ehrlich raise millions, said Gilchrest “has disappointed me recently. I don?t like his stance on the war, and his voting record has been increasingly less conservative.” Hug lives in the Anne Arundel portion of the district, which also include parts of Baltimore and Harford counties, which Harris represents, as well as all of the Eastern Shore.
Hug and Harris “haven?t talked much” about fundraising, Hug said, but he will help the candidate explore whether or not there is enough money to win.
