WESTMINSTER, Md., May 10, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Dave Harden (D) declared his congressional bid for Maryland’s First District from his boyhood home on the family farm in Westminster, Maryland. Prior to running for congress, Mr. Harden was a successful entrepreneur and previously served as a Senior Foreign Service Officer for 20 years leading the American response to the toughest foreign policy and economic challenges of our generation. Now, the national security strategist seeks to bring jobs and build an inclusive economy in Maryland.
Harden plans to build a big tent coalition in a district which has eluded the Democrats for more than a decade. Maryland is poised to be remapped prior to the 2022 election, likely making the First District a highly contested congressional district in a race that will help determine the majority in the House of Representatives.
Harden can tout his bipartisan track record to voters: he was appointed by President Barack Obama, and subsequently confirmed by a bipartisan vote in the Senate, to serve as the Assistant Administrator for the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance in 2016. In 2018, President Donald Trump awarded Harden the Presidential Award for Distinguished Service, the highest honor in the Foreign Service.
The sitting incumbent, Andy Harris, is a six-term Republican. Harris’ actions during and after the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol motivated Harden to run for congress. Harris is particularly vulnerable in this campaign after the attack on the Capitol. He voted to overturn Joe Biden’s win, nearly got into a fist fight with Rep. Colin Alred (D-Texas) in the early hours of January 7, refused to honor the Capitol Police who defended lawmakers during the attack, and voted against the 2022 Defense budget.
Dave Harden will focus on jobs and the economy. Maryland’s First District has lagged behind the economic development of the broader mid-Atlantic region. “We have lost a decade with Andy Harris,” Harden said. “If you look at the metrics, we are simply poorer, sicker, less protected, and more divided. It’s time for more results and less politics.”
The Maryland primary is June 22, 2022, the general election is November 8, 2022. Voters can learn more about Dave Harden at www.hardenforcongress.com.
Media contact:
Dennis Parker
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SOURCE Harden for Congress LLC
