I want to start 2024 with a hopeful thought. Next year could be the year the Eastern Shore finally unloads Andy “Handgun” Harris. A year from now, I dream, we will celebrate Dr. Harris’ retirement from politics.
It is time for Andy Harris to exit the political stage. Here is why:
Harris is an unambiguous supporter of Donald Trump and is expected to endorse his candidacy for 2024. He voted against both Trump impeachments and voted against creating the House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol. Harris is quoted as saying that Trump’s indictment in connection with January 6 “shows we live in a third world banana republic where the justice system is weaponized against political opponents.”
Harris participated in a December 21, 2020, meeting at the White House where plans were discussed on how to circumvent Trump’s loss of the 2020 presidential election. Harris’ 2022 general election opponent, Heather Mizeur, called on Harris to explain his presence at the meeting and disclose whether he later sought a pardon from Trump. Harris never responded.
Harris supported Mike Johnson as Speaker of the House of Representatives. Johnson was a principal architect of Trump’s scheme to block the certification of the 2020 election.
Shortly after the January 6, 2021, insurrection, Harris was stopped by Capitol Police for attempting to carry a loaded handgun onto the floor of the House of Representatives. Harris said he forgot he was carrying. (The incident is the reason I refer to Harris as Andy “Handgun” Harris.)
Harris is a die-hard opponent of efforts to stop gun violence. He voted against the Assault Weapons Ban Act of 2022 and the Active Shooter Alert Act of 2022.
In 2019, Harris opposed the 9/11 Victims Compensation Act. (Why?) Harris was one of only 11 Republicans who voted against the bill.
In 2019, Harris voted against extending the Violence Against Women Act. (Why?)
In 2021, Harris voted “present” on a resolution condemning QAnon conspiracy theories. The measure passed on a strong bipartisan vote with 371 “aye” votes.
Despite the importance of a clean, healthy Chesapeake Bay to First District voters, Harris regularly votes against legislation that supports efforts to improve the health of the Bay. He has earned a lifetime score of 3% by the League of Conservation Voters. In the past, Harris has questioned climate change.
Harris is an adamant opponent of abortion.
Harris is an opponent of LGBTQ+ rights.
Harris advised listeners to use ivermectin to treat COVID, a medicine most often used to rid horses and cows of parasites. The American Medical Association strongly urged against prescribing the drug other than in clinical trials. The Food and Drug Administration warned people against taking the drug.
Harris broke his promise to leave Congress after six terms. In 2021, in announcing his decision. He blamed “socialists” and “liberals” and said his work was not yet done. (What work?)
If Trump wins the Republican nomination for president in 2024 but loses the general election, it is likely that Dr. Harris will again spring into action to save the political life of his leader. Count on Trump to point to deranged lunatics, communists, and RINOs for stealing the election from him. Plans will be laid to again block certification of his opponent’s win, notwithstanding the Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act. If those efforts fail, why shouldn’t we expect more violence?
There are many reasons Andy Harris should not represent the Eastern Shore (or anywhere else) in Congress. His interests are out of sync with Eastern Shore priorities. And last time I checked, an overwhelming majority of voters on the Eastern Shore still supported democracy.
A new year starts in five days. Let that year, 2024, be the year that Dr. Harris leaves Congress. Congress, and American democracy, will be healthier for it.
The Maryland primary is May 14, 2024. The deadline for candidates to file to run is February 9, 2024.
J.E. Dean is a retired attorney and public affairs consultant writing on politics, government, and other subjects.
Jim Moses CDR, USN (Ret.) says
If you are a Republican old enough to remember Eisenhower, Ford, Reagan or G. H. W. Bush, ask yourself this: what would any of those well-respected gentlemen think of Representative Harris? Then cast your vote acordingly.
John Dean says
I agree with you entirely. I believe the party of Eisenhower, Ford, Reagan and G.H.W. Bush is gone, forever. Hopefully, a new party will emerge reflecting what used to be “Republican values.” We need a two-party system, but not a two-party system where one party rejects democracy.
Happy New Year.
Holly Wright says
I should say put forward viable candidates.
Holly Wright says
Without a viable candidate to run against Andy Harris, another election cycle of ineffective flailing opposition is before us.
One of the very important functions voters used to be able to count on from their county and statewide parties was the development and introduction of viable candidates.
For a Democratic challenger, the state party should bring together the many county parties in his district to organize an effort to put forward such a candidate with the promise of unity and support.
Carol Bilek says
Couldn’t agree more! Harris must go.
John Dean says
Thank you for reading the piece and commenting.
Happy New Year.
Wilson Dean says
This article lays out a precise rationale why Andy Harris should be rejected in 2024. His extensive and still unexplained role in attempting to overthrow the government of the United States soils the integrity of everyone living on the Eastern Shore. Moreover, he has been totally useless in doing anything to improve the lives of the people he is supposed to represent.
Seriously, what has Handgun Harris done for us who live here (other than make us the laughing stock of the country)? For once, it would be inspiring to have a responsible member of each party running to be our representative in the House in 2024 so we could have a substantive choice regardless of party affiliation.
John Dean says
Thank you. And Happy New Year! John
JT Smith says
A fine hope for the new year! It remains a mystery why a man of apparent intelligence and education acts in such a dangerous and unenlightened fashion.
John Dean says
Thank you for reading the piece and for your comment. If you figure it out, let me know. The Eastern Shore deserves better representation than Dr. Harris.
Anne Stalfort says
Agree! He is an embarrassment.
John Dean says
Thank you for the comment. Happy New Year to you.
Susan Kemp says
AMEN!
Charles Barranco says
Mr Dean,
After Congressman Harris voted 3 times, Not to expel Scumbag Santos, knowing the overwhelming evidence of Santos’s wrongdoing and then ignoring the urging of NY Republicans not to seat him, Harris showed his true colors and total commitment to the Radical Right of Trump’s handpicked dolts, Gym, et al, to keep Santos on the team. Does Fast Draw Harris have a conscience? Is he so whipped by Trump that he can only vote lock step with Johnson and the GOP and never for his constituents or decency?
I agree, November 2024 is trash time for Harris.
John Dean says
Thank you for your comment. I forgot about the Santos votes when I was writing the piece. Thank you for raising that.
Happy New Year.
Michael Davis says
Thank you for listing Congressman Harris’s voting record. It indicates he has no interest in supporting our Constitution or democracy. On the other hand, he appears to be totally dedicated to supporting Donald Trump at the expense of the other two.
One addition to your list: Harris claims that he cannot support funding our government because we cannot leave a burden of debt to future generations. Except for debt he supported while Trump was president. But he appears to be against any program to stop our Earth from becoming inhospitable to life. He would have our debt free generations living carefree on a dangerous and deadly Earth.
John Dean says
Thank you for your comment–you make an excellent point.
Happy New Year.
Paul Rybon says
Don’t think Mr Dean understands the majority of voters in the upper Eastern Shore. And the radical left Mizeur was not a very good candidate against him. With respect to the gun flap, if we can’t trust our elected officials to carry responsibly then we shouldn’t trust them at all. If Andy Harris district becomes more liberal like the rest of the ‘shore’ it’s likely he’ll be retired.
John Dean says
Thank you for reading the piece. Please note that I reviewed Harris’ record in the hope that readers who have supported Harris in the past might take a closer look at his record.
Please also let me politely disagree with you on Mizeur. I would not call her a radical left candidate. I think she understood the First District and would have worked hard to represent the district.
In any case, Happy New Year.
David Taylor says
Mizeur was a far left radical candidate. Your comment just exposes your bias. In what world do you not think she is far left?
Jerry McConnell says
Everyone has a bias towards their own viewpoints; what’s “radical left wing” to ultra conservative, right wing extremists—who, for example, may support a morally bankrupt, criminally corrupt, pathological liar of an ex-president —is not only normal but totally appropriate, acceptable and anything but “radical.”
In more words, if you’re not smart enough to recognize something, you can call it whatever you want.
Lucy Garliauskas says
From your pen to the voters ears!
John Dean says
Thank you for your comment. Happy New Year.
Kathleen Carroll says
Since I moved to the Eastern Shore in 2014, I have never voted for Andy Harris. And he just keeps giving us more reasons not to vote for him. You can be sure I will be voting for his opponent.
John Dean says
Glad to hear you won’t be supporting Harris in 2024.
Thanks for reading the piece. Happy New Year!
susan delean-botkin says
Totally agree on why we need to get rid of “handgun” Harris. Big question is who is going to defeat him? We have had very serious, solid contenders – most recently Heather Mizeur, who would have been an excellent representative for the First District. She ran a strong, inclusive campaign, but could not overcome the conservative Northern vote.
Will she run again? I don’t know, but the time is now for a contender to step forward. The mid-Shore is ready to fight to get rid of Harris
John Dean says
Thank you for your comment. I would welcome Ms. Mizeur running for the seat again. I agree with you that she would have made an excellent representative in the House for the Eastern Shore.
Happy New Year.
Robert Kopec says
Andy Harris is all wrong for the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Please Andy, just resign and do not run again.
John Dean says
I don’t think Dr. Harris reads my column or the replies posted to it, but I welcome your call on him to resign.
Harris broke his promise to limit his “service” in Congress to six terms. I wish he would reconsider term limits and set an example by withdrawing from the 2024 race.
Al DiCenso says
This man is not only unhinged and dangerous, but a blot on the character of the Eastern Shore. Unfortunately he WILL be re-elected unless the Republicans come up with a strong and well respected opponent in the primary. If he is re-nominated, then unless we wake up the “ordinary” citizens of the district, the strong watermen/farmers far-right coalition will easily re-elect him. A pity!
John Dean says
Thank you for your comment. I would welcome a strong and well-respected Republican running against Harris, but won’t hold my breath. I fear Trump will attempt to quash any effort to remove Harris from Congress.
Happy New Year.
Tom Dennis says
John, I appreciate your clear and persuasive arguments for why we need to replace Andy Harris. I share your passion for exposing Andy Harris’s true character and how he has neglected the Eastern Shore as a Congressman.
Frankly, Andy Harris has been getting away with his lies for too long. It’s time for him to face the consequences. But we can’t do it alone. We need a united front of Democrats, Independents, and Republicans who care about the Eastern Shore and what Andy Harris has failed to do for them in his 13 years in office. Can we overcome the huge Republican advantage in this district? It’s an incredible challenge.
I think the only feasible way to beat Andy Harris in this Republican stronghold is to challenge him in the Republican Primary with a strong, reputable, and well-funded candidate. Someone with roots and connections on the Eastern Shore from Havre de Grace to Pocomoke City. Someone who can work with others and values cooperation over conflict. Someone dedicated to the Eastern Shore and its challenges and incredible opportunities.
Running for Congress is not inexpensive. A primary challenger would need to raise at least $2 Million, maybe more, to match Harris’s resources. That’s a lot of money to raise in Maryland for this race. Unless a national Third-Party PAC can support such a campaign, it would be very difficult. And Democrats would have to switch parties to vote in the primary and tip the balance against Andy Harris.
I know this is a long shot. The State Democratic party is unlikely to endorse this strategy. And Republicans who are fed up with Harris’s extremism would have to be motivated to vote against him.
Allowing Andy Harris to “skate” without a challenge in a primary is a mistake. And Mr. Harris is counting on that scenario.
Notwithstanding the above, I want to acknowledge the work of Judy Wixsted and Patrick Firth, who are organizing Democrats on the Eastern Shore beyond Talbot County. They deserve a round of applause. The Eastern Shore needs that kind of voter engagement to defeat Andy Harris.
John Dean says
Tom: Thank you for your substantive, informed comment. In many ways, it is worth more to read than my piece.
Mickey Terrone says
Harris is certainly a stain on the Eastern Shore’s Congressional District I. Yet Harris has not won in Talbot County for the past 2 elections. Winning District I requires Harford County, which comprises about as many voters as the Mid and Lower Eastern Shore counties combined.
Average Harford Republicans believe Andy Harris is in full sync with Donald Trump and thus, fully support Harris’ efforts to overturn the 2020 election that they believe was rigged, regardless of the absence of any evidence. These working class white Republicans also seem to support Trump’s massive tax cuts for the wealthiest 1% of Americans and have expressed no problem with Trump’s $7.8 Trillion increase in the federal defecit incurred during his 4-year term.
Republican District I women seem to demonstrate their buy-in to Trump’s efforts to appoint SCOTUS judges who acted to overturn Roe vs Wade so that they themselves and all other American women can no longer choose to end pregnancies that may endanger their lives or otherwise create major problems in their lives.
Harris’ support of Trump’s efforts to block certification of the 2020 electoral vote has apparently received little or no pushback from District I Republicans, perhaps because they agree that the election was rigged and that Harris was justified in participating in the planning for the January 6th insurrection. Perhaps District I Republicans think it was patriotic to work to circumvent the US Constitution so that somehow, Donald Trump could remain president regardless of the outcome of the nationwide vote.
If Republican voters want to elect a fascist dictator who would suspend the Constitution, they can try again with Trump, who has clearly articulated his plans. Perhaps those Republicans don’t have any fathers or grandfathers who fought in WWII against fascism. Maybe they believe Putin is worthy of their support for trying to devour Ukraine’s democracy. Perhaps evangelical christian Republicans who think America is a christian country should look for the words “God”, “Jesus” or “Bible” in the US Constitution written by the Founding Fathers. In fact, the 1st Amendment prohibits the government from establishing a state religion or favoring one religion over others.
Yes, Andy Harris isn’t just a miserable Congressman. He’s a miserable excuse for an American, and thus a valuable member of the Trump bloc seeking to undermine American values and institutions. He may well be planning the details of how he’ll support Trump’s claim that the 2024 election was also rigged. Charlatans like Harris and Trump are dangerous only because they were elected by voters who are deluded Americans. There is no logical explanation for average Americans to support candidates like Trump and Harris other than to undermine our democratic republic to maintain white supremacy by authoritarian means.
Happy New Year, but it would be a whole lot brighter for America’s future if Trump and Harris are defeated in 2024.