Maryland GOP Rep. Gilchrest, Ousted in Primary, Endorses Dem to Succeed Him

[existentialist]

Maryland GOP Rep. Gilchrest, Ousted in Primary, Endorses Dem to Succeed Him

http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=news-000002943287

By Bob Benenson and Michael Teitelbaum, CQ Staff

Maryland Rep. Wayne T. Gilchrest, a nine-term centrist unseated in this year’s Republican primary, this morning endorsed county prosecutor Frank Kratovil Jr. — the Democratic nominee — to succeed him. In doing so, Gilchrest broke formally with the campaign of Republican state Sen. Andy Harris, the strongly conservative candidate who ousted him in the Feb. 12 contest.

“For the 18 years I have been honored to represent the 1st District in Congress, I have always tried to make decisions based on principle rather than partisanship or politics,” Gilchrest said in his prepared remarks at the beginning of a conference call with reporters from the state capital of Annapolis.





When asked about the issues on which he thinks his party needs to moderate its approach, Gilchrest named almost every major matter facing the nation’s policy-makers. “It’s about energy, farming, environmental issues, health care, foreign policy,” Gilchrest said. “The Republican Party has strayed from the mainstream and from being fundamentally competent.”



Gilchrest, a low-key 62-year-old Vietnam War veteran and former teacher, has long stood out with Republican congressional ranks for his environmentalist stance. He has often broken with his party’s line during Bush’s presidency, including his criticism of the administration’s handling of the Iraq war.