Freshman Democratic Rep. Frank Kratovil lost his re-election bid Tuesday, unable to overcome widespread voter frustration in his rematch with Republican state Sen. Andy Harris along Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
Harris’ victory returns the conservative-leaning 1st District to GOP control, one of the few pickups for Republicans in the deep-blue state.
With three-fourths of the votes counted, Harris held a commanding 12-point lead — 54 percent to 42 percent — over the incumbent.
“As of right now, we’re really happy with the numbers,” said Harris spokeswoman Anna Nix. We feel good at the Harris camp.”
Kratovil hoped his moderate record — he voted against President Obama’s health care overhaul — and Eastern Shore roots would help him avoid the fate of many Democratic House incumbents. Kratovil did not return calls for comment.
Kratovil was among the most targeted House Democrats, but the race remained a dead heat until Election Day.
Two years made all the difference, though, as Harris capitalized on strong conservative support in suburban Baltimore and improved results along the Eastern Shore to avoid another defeat.
Kratovil bested Harris by fewer than 3,000 votes two years ago, even as President Obama lost the district by 19 points.
The political battle turned into one of the nation’s most expensive and nastiest Houses races, with both parties dominating the air waves in the final days before the election. Nearly $4 million was pumped into the race, mostly from the national Democratic and Republican committees.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee highlighted Richard Davis, the Libertarian candidate in the contest, hoping to pry the most conservative voters away from Harris. But Davis earned just 4 percent of the vote.
Harris’ campaign painted Kratovil as a liberal elitist, focusing on high-end food served at a fundraiser for the congressman in Bethesda.
Maryland’s 1st District, which spans from Severna Park in Anne Arundel County to middle Harford County to the tourist town of Ocean City, generally votes more Democratic along the Eastern Shore and more Republican in suburban Baltimore.
The area was represented for years by Republican Wayne Gilchrest, a moderate who endorsed Kratovil in the race. But the longtime representative was ousted by Harris in the 2008 Republican primary, which analysts said gave the state senator much-needed name recognition for the rematch against Kratovil.
