State Sen. Andrew Harris, a conservative Republican representing Baltimore and Harford counties, is strongly considering challenging U.S. Rep. Wayne Gilchrest in the primary for his District 1 seat, especially after Gilchrest was one of only two House Republicans this week to vote with Democrats for a troop pullout in Iraq.
“He must be hearing different things from the district than I?ve been hearing,” Harris said. The senator has been making the rounds of Lincoln Day dinners in the district that includes all of the Eastern Shore and parts of Anne Arundel, Baltimore and Harford counties.
Harris said he?s been hearing “much disappointment in Wayne Gilchrest?s voting record.”
“The war is only the last in a long string of votes” that have disaffected conservatives, Harris said. Those votes include support for abortion rights and a 50 percent voting record with National Taxpayers Union. The moderate congressman has served 16 years, and environmental groups give him some of the highest ratings for a Republican in Congress.
“His liberal record has just become more liberal,” said Harris, the only physician in the state Senate. “What I?m hearing is, there is discontent,” he said, adding he needs to gauge “how deep the discontent runs.”
He will make a decision about the race by Memorial Day.
Gilchrest?s last Republican challenger, Sen. Richard Colburn, got 38 percent of the vote.
