On November 11, 2008, Democratic candidate Frank Kratovil successfully defeated incumbent Andy Harris in the race to represent Maryland's District 1 in the US House of Representatives. The vote count was extremely close, and after the inclusion of absentee and provisional ballots, Kratovil's lead increased to roughly 2150 votes.
The Sierra Club of Maryland actively supported Kratovil's campaign and strongly favored his platform, given his commitment to environmental issues. The Sierra Club signed upmembers for email alerts; distributed signage; and encouraged members to write letters to their local newspaper editors, to attend Kratovil events, and to canvass and phonebank directly with the campaign. Maryland Sierra Club has a total of 1,114 members living in District 1, and volunteers made over 3,000 phone calls to these members encouraging them to vote for Kratovil and to participate in the campaign.
National environmental organizations, as well as the Democratic Party, joined in to turn the tide. Congressman Kratovil, who was trailing by double digits in the polls, came from behind to ultimately win the race.
Congratulations to all who helped contribute to this incredible victory for the environment!