Andy Harris

Andy Harris, M.D., is a dedicated physician, veteran, and longtime public servant representing Maryland’s 1st Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2011. A Republican, he is known for his commitment to fiscal responsibility, support for agriculture and rural communities, strong national defense, and constituent service in a district that spans the Eastern Shore and parts of Baltimore County.

Born in 1957 in Brooklyn, New York, to immigrants who fled communist Eastern Europe after World War II, Harris grew up appreciating freedom and hard work. He earned a B.S. in human biology (1977), M.D. (1980), and M.H.S. in health policy and management (1995) from Johns Hopkins University. He specialized in obstetric anesthesiology and practiced for nearly three decades at Johns Hopkins Hospital, where peers repeatedly recognized him as a “Top Doc.” He has also practiced at hospitals on the Eastern Shore.

In 1988, Harris answered a call during the Reagan administration to serve as a medical officer in the U.S. Naval Reserve. He established and commanded the Johns Hopkins Naval Reserve Medical Unit. During Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm in 1990–1991, his unit provided care at Bethesda Naval Hospital for active-duty personnel, veterans, and POWs. He rose to the rank of Commander (O-5) and served for over 16 years.

Harris entered politics in 1998, winning election to the Maryland State Senate as a citizen-legislator who continued practicing medicine. He earned recognition, including the “Hero of the Taxpayer” award, for his focus on efficient government. In 2010, he won election to Congress and has been re-elected multiple times, including in 2024.

In the House, he serves on the Appropriations Committee, chairing the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Subcommittee. He also serves on the Labor, HHS, and Education Subcommittee. In September 2024, he was elected Chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, advocating for fiscal responsibility.

• Agriculture and Rural Issues: As chairman of the relevant Appropriations subcommittee, Harris champions Maryland’s family farms, poultry industry, and Eastern Shore economy.
• Health Care: Drawing on his medical background, he has supported reforms for accessibility, affordability, and innovation, including work on the 21st Century Cures Act and NIH oversight.
• Veterans and Defense: A veteran himself, he prioritizes support for those who served.
• Chesapeake Bay and Environment: He works to preserve the Bay while balancing economic needs like fishing and recreation.
• Fiscal Responsibility: High scores from conservative groups reflect his emphasis on reducing spending and waste.

He has sponsored legislation advancing these priorities, including appropriations bills supporting agriculture and rural development.

Harris is a family man. He was married to his late wife Cookie for over 33 years and has five children and numerous grandchildren. He remarried in 2017 and lives with his wife Nicole in Dorchester County. He enjoys time on the Chesapeake Bay, gardening, and repairing old cars with his sons. He remains connected to his district through regular commuting and community engagement.

Harris embodies a profile of service— from delivering babies and caring for patients, to military duty, state leadership, and now Congress—rooted in personal experience, conservative principles, and a deep tie to Maryland’s First District. His constituents value his accessibility, leadership on local economic drivers like farming and seafood, and willingness to stand for limited government.

Victor Allen Guidice (also referred to as Victor Guidice) is a Democratic candidate in the 2026 primary for U.S. House of Representatives, Maryland’s 1st Congressional District (MD-01).

The primary is scheduled for June 23, 2026, with the general election on November 3, 2026. He faces three other Democrats in the primary: Dan Schwartz, George Walish, and Randi White. The winner would challenge Republican incumbent Rep. Andy Harris (and possibly others) in the general. Guidice filed his candidacy in January 2026 (FEC ID: H6MD01353) and resides in Aberdeen, Harford County, MD.

• Personal: He is a husband and father, and a fourth-generation resident of Aberdeen, MD, with family roots in Maryland’s 1st District going back over 120 years (family members have worked as veterinarians, cobblers, police officers, watermen, and entrepreneurs). He has lived and worked around the Chesapeake Bay, on land and water.
• Professional: Business solutions consultant, multiple-mastery craftsman, logistical technician; holds certifications in heavy equipment operation and a commercial driver’s license. He started cutting grass for neighbors at age 13 and has adapted to a changing job market through self-taught skills.
• Personal challenges overcome: He has experienced job insecurity, homelessness, and food insecurity, which he says give him insight into community issues.
• Motivation (from his Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey and campaign site): He has studied politics since age 7. He views current events as “not politics, it is treason” and states he is running to fight authoritarianism, protect liberty/constitutional rights, and represent “average, good-hearted people” rather than those “groomed with money.” He cites Jimmy Carter as a model (“man of the people”) and emphasizes honesty, integrity, transparency, and humility in politicians. His goal is to leave the district, state, and country better off.

• Lower cost of living (focus on energy, food, fuel).
• Universal child care, universal health care, and universal higher education.
• Employable skills/vocational training and financial literacy/civics for high school graduates.
• Boost agriculture in District 1/Maryland by reducing regulations and fixing subsidies.
• Energy: Diversify portfolio (solar as cost-effective, plus traditional sources like coal/natural gas); localize energy production.
• Strong emphasis on restoring civil rights/constitutional freedoms and addressing homelessness, K-12 education, farmers/hunters, and civil rights.

His campaign website is guidiceforcongress.com (includes donate/volunteer options). He has a small Instagram presence (@guidiceforcongress). Campaign finance activity is minimal so far (little-to-no reported contributions in early FEC data).

Bottom line: Guidice presents as a local, self-made Democrat emphasizing personal hardship, constitutional values, and progressive economic policies. No red flags or negative material emerged despite targeted searches for controversies or images. For the latest, check his campaign site or Maryland election resources directly, as the primary is still weeks away.

George M. Walish Jr. (Democratic candidate for U.S. House, Maryland's 1st Congressional District) is a retired senior executive running in the Democratic primary on June 23, 2026, against Victor Guidice, Dan Schwartz (endorsed by Gov. Wes Moore), and Randi White. The winner faces long-time Republican incumbent Rep. Andy Harris in November 2026.

• Residency and personal life: Eastern Shore resident for nearly 30 years (homes in Chestertown, St. Michaels, Oxford, now Earleville in Cecil County). Widower (married 33 years to Christine, who passed in 2011); two adult sons (George III and Bradford). Purchased and restored his family’s historic summer cottage near Turkey Point.
• Education: High school (Cardinal O’Hara); B.A. in Business from St. Thomas University (Biscayne College), 1971. Worked construction/summer jobs and in a supermarket to pay for college.
• Career: Early roles included construction trades (millwright, carpenter, sheet metal worker, laborer), junior high social studies teacher, and sports coach (basketball/baseball). Later: Xerox, Chrysler, then 30 years at BMW of North America (1975 onward, rising to Senior Executive; involved in Rolls-Royce brand integration and diversity initiatives per public profiles). Founder of the St. Michaels Concours d’Elegance (nationally ranked classic car show that has raised nearly $500,000 for local nonprofits like the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum and American Red Cross).
• Prior elected office: Elected St. Michaels town commissioner (served ~7 months in 2008–2009).
• Campaign focus: Chesapeake Bay health, support for farmers and watermen, needs of the 11 counties in MD-01 (rural/small-town issues), bipartisanship, term limits, transparency/accountability, and being a “true representative of the people.” Emphasizes business experience, listening to constituents, and voting for the person over party (notes he has voted Republican in the past). Campaign site: walishforcongress.org. Low-key style with small-group events.

No major campaign finance red flags on FEC; standard challenger filings with no significant independent expenditures opposing him to date.

Public records, news searches, and recent social media/X mentions turn up no scandals, arrests, lawsuits, ethics violations, financial issues, or major criticisms tied to Walish himself. Searches for terms like “controversy,” “scandal,” “lawsuit,” “criticism,” or “negative” related to him yield only routine campaign coverage or unrelated/old results (e.g., a 1991 union court case involving a different George Walish, likely his father Sr., a carpenters union executive who died in 2008).

The only potential negative is his brief tenure as St. Michaels town commissioner. He was elected in 2008, served seven months, and resigned on January 14, 2009. His resignation letter stated: “It has become increasingly apparent over the last half of 2008 that it will not be possible to accomplish for the voters of St. Michaels the initiatives that I was elected to deliver to them.” Contemporary news coverage was brief and neutral—no quotes from critics, no reported scandal, and no details on specific blocked initiatives (one note in related coverage referenced local resistance to growth/recycling efforts). His current campaign materials still reference the commissioner role positively as elected experience, though his website bio omits it.

In the current primary, there is no visible public attack from opponents or local media on this (or anything else). Coverage treats him as one of several low-profile challengers focused on local Eastern Shore issues. Gov. Moore has endorsed another candidate (Dan Schwartz), but without negative commentary on Walish.

Overall assessment: Walish has a clean public record with a solid business and local-residency background that aligns with the district. The short commissioner stint is the sole point that could be framed negatively (e.g., as limited elected experience or frustration with local government), but it appears to stem from policy/leadership differences rather than any impropriety. No other red flags emerged in news, court records, FEC data, or recent online discussion as of May 2026. He positions himself as a moderate, business-oriented Democrat emphasizing bipartisanship and district-specific concerns like the Chesapeake Bay.

Edward Shlikas is an unaffiliated (independent) write-in candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Maryland's 1st Congressional District in the November 3, 2026 general election.

He filed as a write-in only (no primary run) and lists his address in Jarrettsville, Harford County, MD, with contact email shlikasforcongress@gmail.com and social handle @Shlikas4Congress (older X account appears to be @senatorshlikas).

• Age and Residence: Approximately 56 (age 53 in 2022). Previously lived in Millsboro, Delaware; now based in Maryland's Eastern Shore/Harford area but works in Baltimore.
• Professional Background: Assistant Chief Horticulturist for Baltimore City Recreation & Parks (recent role, ~2024 onward, including sites like Cylburn Arboretum). Past experience includes horticulturist, quality assurance manager, facilities manager (e.g., at St. Paul's School), and operator of a background-checks business. He describes himself as a "strategic and creative leader and problem-solver."
• Education: Attended Wake Forest University School of Law in the late 1990s (did not complete; left amid disputes). Has completed various online/extension courses through Harvard University (e.g., Creative Problem Solving, Design Thinking for Innovation, Contracts, graphic design, typography, and imagemaking).
• Political History: Perennial write-in/independent candidate with minimal vote totals. Previous runs include:
  • U.S. Senate (Maryland write-in, 2016 and 2018).
  • U.S. House (Delaware at-large write-in, 2022 — received 3 votes).
  • U.S. President (write-in efforts around 2020/2024).
• Platform Highlights (from 2022 candidate questionnaire and past statements): Top priority is ending the Federal Reserve ("root of so many economic problems"). Other issues include ending U.S. involvement in the Ukraine war, substantially cutting the military budget, reducing government corruption across branches, congressional term limits (4 House terms / 2 Senate terms), and strong parental/local control over education vs. federal influence. He positions himself as uncorrupted by lobbyists, corporations (pharma, tech, fossil fuels, defense), and the two-party system.

He has a LinkedIn profile (linkedin.com/in/edwardshlikas) and limited online presence beyond old X posts criticizing the Fed, government inefficiency, and economic issues.

Public records show no criminal history, arrests, financial scandals, or major recent controversies. He is a low-profile/fringe candidate with very limited name recognition or electoral success.

Notable past issues include a pattern of pro se civil litigation:

• 1997–1999 Wake Forest Law School lawsuit and hunger strike: As a first-year law student, he sued the university, administrators, and professors alleging classroom harassment, discrimination (including an unusual claim tying a professor's Cleveland Browns fandom to resentment over the team's move to Baltimore), forced interrogation in class, office-hour policies, and other personal grievances. He staged a hunger strike outside the law school building in January 1998 to protest university policies and teaching methods. The case was dismissed.
• Student loan/debt collection lawsuits (2000s–2010s): Multiple suits (e.g., against SLM Corp./Sallie Mae, Arrow Financial Services, Pioneer Credit Recovery, and related entities including the U.S. Department of Education) over alleged debt collection violations (FDCPA claims) and tax offsets. He lost on the merits; appeals were affirmed against him in the 4th Circuit (pro se plaintiff).
• 2024 Tax Court case: Lost a challenge to the 10% additional tax penalty on an early IRA distribution (court found lack of evidence for an exception).

Critics might view the repeated litigation (personal and financial grievances) as a negative indicator of litigiousness or unresolved personal/financial issues, though these are older civil matters with no findings of wrongdoing on his part beyond losing the cases. His repeated low-vote write-in runs (often single-digit or zero) could be seen as lacking broad appeal.

No official campaign website or high-quality press photos turned up in searches, consistent with his write-in, low-budget style. If you're looking for visuals, the X/LinkedIn avatars are the most accessible and representative.