There Are Alternatives to Andy Harris in this Year’s Primary
George Shivers • May 12, 2020
(An earlier version of this article included erroneous information about Mr. Delgado’s positions on a number of issues. We are mortified, and apologize to Mr. Delgado and our readers.)
Andy Harris has been our representative in Congress in District 1 since 2011. Because of his opposition to virtually all legislation that doesn’t conform to his ultra-conservative ideology, including legislation in the best interests of his constituents, Harris has been nicknamed “Dr. No.” A future article in this publication will focus on Harris’s voting record. Our purpose here is to introduce three individuals — one Republican and two Democrats — who are opposing Harris in the primary election on June 2.
Jennifer Pingley
One of two Democrats running in the primary, Jennifer Pingley is a registered nurse from Cecil County. Her campaign website can be found at: https://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=466172
She has a wide range of experience in the field, having worked in pediatrics, adult ICU, critical care transport, school nursing and occupational health. She states on her website that her background as a nurse will influence her positions on legislation, saying: “I will fight to preserve the basic human rights to clean air and clean water. I will fight to keep and strengthen institutions that protect the average person such as the EPA and trade unions. I vow never to put the wants of business over the health or safety of people.”
In an article by Laetitia Sands in the Dorchester Banner published on March 3, Pingley stated her belief that universal health care is the ultimate goal, but because of Republican opposition, it may be currently out of reach; as a start she suggests primary care for all, which she sees as a right of citizenship. She also supports government intervention to reverse the rising costs of medications. She stated that she would like to see a scientist at the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, and added that, “Around here, the water is going to rise. We need to re-evaluate local measures: Are we doing things that contribute to putting us under water faster?”
Jorge Delgado
Jorge Delgado, from Ocean City, is opposing Harris in the Republican primary. On his campaign website (https://www.delgado4maryland.com/) he characterizes himself as a “true conservative.”
He holds a B.S. in international business from Auburn University. Most recently he was the economic policy advisor for U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner, focusing on taxation, affordable housing, and the challenges faced by small businesses and rural communities. He says he’s a strong supporter of President Trump’s policies. In a communication with this writer, he stated that he supports Governor Hogan’s actions with regard to covid-19 and has refrained from holding public campaign events, unlike Harris, who recently spoke at a demonstration in Salisbury protesting the shut-down.
Mr. Delgado believes “in less government, not more,” and therefore does not support publicly supported healthcare and in the elimination of private insurance. On education, he has never stated that publicly supported education should extend through college. With regard to gay rights, while he is against any form of discrimination, he has never stated that he supports adding sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression as protected classes in non-discrimination laws. He states that in his campaign he is a strong supporter of the Free Enterprise System.
Mia Mason, the second Democratic candidate, is a 20-year military veteran who has served in the Navy, Army and D.C. National Guard. She is a member of the LGBT community and lives in Frederick County. Her campaign website can be found at: https://miadmason.us/
She served on board the USS Kitty Hawk for Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. She also participated in relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina. She completed five combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and was decorated for her service. She retired from the military in 2018, and has since worked to advance civil rights and oppose Trump’s discriminatory practices. She was a speaker at the 2018 Women’s March. Her positions include support for Medicare for All, the Green New Deal, bringing back the federal ban on assault weapons, the CARE Act to end the opioid crisis, and restoring Obama-era environmental protections. She states that she would seek passage of legislation to ensure meeting 2030 and 2040 environmental goals. She strongly supports the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
In response to a question regarding the impact of the covid-19 virus on her campaign, she stated that she strongly supports the actions taken by Governor Hogan to protect Marylanders. As a result of the epidemic, she stopped door-to-door canvassing and went to a completely digital, online campaign. She noted that there are weekly town halls for District 1 communities. Her campaign is available online to answer any questions or voters can phone her staff at 410-946-2766.
A native of Wicomico County, George Shivers holds a doctorate from the University of Maryland and taught in the Foreign Language Dept. of Washington College for 38 years before retiring in 2007. He is also very interested in the history and culture of the Eastern Shore, African American history in particular.
Common Sense for the Eastern Shore
Right now, Congress is working on a fast-track bill that would make historic cuts to basic needs programs in order to finance another round of tax breaks for the wealthy and big corporations.
The House Agriculture Committee recently voted, along party lines, to advance legislation that would cut as much as $300 million from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. SNAP is the nation’s most important anti-hunger program, helping more than 41 million people in the U.S. pay for food. With potential cuts this large, it helps to know who benefits from this program in Maryland, and who would lose this assistance. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities compiled data on SNAP beneficiaries by congressional district, cited below, and produced the Maryland state datasheet , shown below. In Maryland, in 2023-24, 1 in 9 people lived in a household with SNAP benefits. In Maryland’s First Congressional District, in 2023-24: Almost 34,000 households used SNAP benefits. Of those households, 43% had at least one senior (over age 60). 29% of SNAP recipients were people of color. 15% were Black, non-Hispanic, higher than 11.8% nationally. 6% were Hispanic (19.4% nationally). There were 24,700 total veterans (ages 18-64). Of those, 2,200 lived in households that used SNAP benefits (9%). The CBPP SNAP datasheet for Maryland is below. See data from all the states and download factsheets here.
Apparently, some people think that the GOP’s “big beautiful bill” is a foregone conclusion, and that the struggle over the budget and Trump’s agenda is over and done. Not true. On Sunday night, the bill — given the alternate name “Big Bad Bullsh*t Bill” by the Democratic Women’s Caucus — was voted out of the House Budget Committee. The GOP plan is to pass this legislation in the House before Memorial Day. But that’s not the end of it. As Jessica Craven explained in her Chop Wood Carry Water column: “Remember, we have at least six weeks left in this process. The bill has to: Pass the House, Then head to the Senate where it will likely be rewritten almost completely, Then be passed there, Then be brought back to the House for reconciliation, And then, if the House changes that version at all, Go back to the Senate for another vote.” She adds, “Every step of that process is a place for us to kill it.” The bill is over a thousand pages long, and the American people will not get a chance to read it until it has passed the House. But, thanks to 5Calls , we know it includes:
Let's talk about our Eastern Shore Delegation, the representatives who are supposed to fight for our nine Shore counties in Annapolis, and what they actually got up to this session.
For the first time in recent memory, Virginia Democrats have candidates running in all 100 House of Delegates districts — a milestone party leaders and grassroots organizers say reflects rising momentum as President Donald Trump’s second term continues to galvanize opposition.
The 447th legislative session of the Maryland General Assembly adjourned on April 8. This End of Session Report highlights the work Shore Progress has done to fight for working families and bring real results home to the Shore. Over the 90-day session, lawmakers debated 1,901 bills and passed 878 into law. Shore Progress and members supported legislation that delivers for the Eastern Shore, protecting our environment, expanding access to housing and healthcare, strengthening workers’ rights, and more. Shore Progress Supported Legislation By The Numbers: Over 60 pieces of our backed legislation were passed. Another 15 passed in one Chamber but not the other. Legislation details are below, past the budget section. The 2026 Maryland State Budget How We Got Here: Maryland’s budget problems didn’t start overnight. They began under Governor Larry Hogan. Governor Hogan expanded the state budget yearly but blocked the legislature from moving money around or making common-sense changes. Instead of fixing the structural issues, Hogan used federal covid relief funds to hide the cracks and drained our state’s savings from $5.5 billion to $2.3 billion to boost his image before leaving office. How Trump/Musk Made It Worse: Maryland is facing a new fiscal crisis driven by the Trump–Musk administration, whose trade wars, tariff policies, and deep federal cuts have hit us harder than most, costing the state over 30,000 jobs, shuttering offices, and erasing promised investments. A University of Maryland study estimates Trump’s tariffs alone could cost us $2 billion, and those federal cuts have already added $300 million to our budget deficit. Covid aid gave us a short-term boost and even created a fake surplus under Hogan, but that money is gone, while housing, healthcare, and college prices keep rising. The Trump–Musk White House is only making things worse by slashing funding, gutting services, and eliminating research that Marylanders rely on. How The State Budget Fixes These Issues: This year, Maryland faced a $3 billion budget gap, and the General Assembly fixed it with a smart mix of cuts and fair new revenue, while protecting working families, schools, and health care. The 2025 Budget cuts $1.9 billion ($400 million less than last year) without gutting services people rely on. The General Assembly raised $1.2 billion in fair new revenue, mostly from the wealthiest Marylanders. The Budget ended with a $350 million surplus, plus $2.4 billion saved in the Rainy Day Fund (more than 9% of general fund revenue), which came in $7 million above what the Spending Affordability Committee called for. The budget protects funding for our schools, health care, transit, and public workers. The budget delivers real wins: $800 million more annually for transit and infrastructure, plus $500 million for long-term transportation needs. It invests $9.7 billion in public schools and boosts local education aid by $572.5 million, a 7% increase. If current revenue trends hold, no new taxes will be needed next session. Even better, 94% of Marylanders will see a tax cut or no change, while only the wealthiest 5% will finally pay their fair share. The tax system is smarter now. We’re: Taxing IT and data services like Texas and D.C. do; Raising taxes on cannabis and sports betting, not groceries or medicine; and Letting counties adjust income taxes. The budget also restores critical funding: $122 million for teacher planning $15 million for cancer research $11 million for crime victims $7 million for local business zones, and Continued support for public TV, the arts, and BCCC The budget invests in People with disabilities, with $181 million in services Growing private-sector jobs with $139 million in funding, including $27.5 million for quantum tech, $16 million for the Sunny Day Fund, and $10 million for infrastructure loans. Health care is protected for 1.5 million Marylanders, with $15.6 billion for Medicaid and higher provider pay. Public safety is getting a boost too, with $60 million for victim services, $5.5 million for juvenile services, and $5 million for parole and probation staffing. This budget also tackles climate change with $100 million for clean energy and solar projects, and $200 million in potential ratepayer relief. Public workers get a well-deserved raise, with $200 million in salary increases, including a 1% COLA and ~2.5% raises for union workers. The ultra-wealthy will finally chip in to pay for it: People earning over $750,000 will pay more, Millionaires will pay 6.5%, and Capital gains over $350,000 get a 2% surcharge. Deductions are capped for high earners, but working families can still deduct student loans, medical debt, and donations. This budget is bold, fair, and built to last. That’s why Shore Progress proudly supports it. Click on the arrows below for details in each section.
