“Not your typical Democrat” — that’s how Blane Miller III describes himself on the website promoting his candidacy for the District 1 Congressional seat. That’s an intriguing slogan, and it’s reasonable for us voters to ask exactly what it means.

The biographical data isn’t any kind of puzzle. Born and raised in Havre de Grace, Miller attended the local high school, where he was on the wrestling and varsity lacrosse teams. Upon graduation in 1993, he became the third generation in his family to serve in the nation’s military. After training in Naval Air Crew School, Miller completed several deployments, and won numerous medals, ribbons, and citations for his service.

Honorably discharged in 2001, Miller put his naval experience to work as a high-speed photographer and deep-water diver for a contractor testing military equipment at Aberdeen Proving Grounds. He started his own consulting company, BH Miller Group, in 2014, continuing to work as a photographer and diver with construction firms. He is married, with one adult son.

Miller first entered politics in 2002, when he served as a member of the Harford County Republican Central Committee. However, on his first run for office — for Harford County Executive in 2022 — he listed himself as a moderate Democrat. In a candidate profile for the patch.com website, he said, “I am tired of the same lack luster, career politician(s) that are a part of the political machine that is fueled by lobbyist and special interests.” He lost that election, taking just over 30% of the vote against Republican Bob Casilly. Not bad for a first-time candidate in a county with a strong Republican majority of registered voters.

Unsuccessful in his first bid for office, Miller didn’t back off from a bigger challenge in 2024, declaring himself as a Democratic candidate to unseat Republican incumbent Andrew P. Harris in the District 1 Congressional race. In the Democratic primary election held in May, Miller took 60% of the vote against Blessing T. Oluwadare, another former Republican and his only opponent. He now faces the formidable task of unseating Harris, a six-term incumbent who has for much of that time been the only Republican in Maryland’s congressional delegation.

Many of Miller’s positions clearly distinguish him from Harris, who has been called “Dr. No” for his record of frequently voting against legislation that would benefit his constituents. As documented on his website, Miller supports well-funded public education and, in contrast to Harris, opposes public support for alternative and private schools. He is opposed to government oversight of women's personal health decisions. He advocates legislation to ensure the safety of Social Security funds and suggests engaging experts to find ways to enhance the healthcare system.

On the other hand, many of his positions seem likely to appeal to more conservative voters who might not normally support a Democrat. He advocates closing the southern border and reexamining the criteria for granting asylum. At the same time, he recognizes the important economic importance of immigrants. He seeks to balance the arguments of environmentalists and skeptics concerning climate change. He also argues for “common sense measures” such as education and background checks to reduce gun violence while respecting the Second Amendment as “a fundamental right.”

It remains to be seen whether Miller’s “moderate common sense leadership” (as he describes it on his website) will attract some of the conservative voters who have regularly returned his Republican opponent to office, and how much it will appeal to more liberal Democratic voters who hope to see “Dr. No” sent to the sidelines. As noted, he has taken on a daunting challenge, one that has deterred many potential contenders over the years. As chronicled on his FaceBook page, Miller has begun making campaign appearances at sites across the Eastern Shore, traveling in his “tour bus” — an SUV with a trailer displaying his campaign signs.

If you see he’s coming to your neighborhood, why not go find out just who Blane Miller is? It might well provide you with still another incentive to go to the polls this November.

Peter Heck is a Chestertown-based writer and editor, who spent 10 years at the Kent County News and three more with the Chestertown Spy. He is the author of 10 novels and co-author of four plays, a book reviewer for Asimov’s and Kirkus Reviews, and an incorrigible guitarist.