Harris And Schwartz Go Head To Head At Eastern Shore Congressional Forum

Cambridge, Md. – Eastern Shore voters got to hear directly from candidates Rep. Andy Harris and Dan Schwartz for Maryland’s First Congressional District at a forum in Cambridge on Tuesday at the Chesapeake Grove Intergenerational Center.

The only scheduled forum between Republican Harris and Democratic challenger Dan Schwartz saw them go head to head on top-of-mind issues such as affordability, the war in Iran and energy.

Congressman Harris is currently seeking his ninth term and is supportive of the war, federal immigration policies and federal government cuts.

“Experience counts,” he said. “Experience in the first district and experience in Congress. I deliver for it because I’m experienced. I’ve lived in the first district for 24 years, I’m not a newcomer.”

Schwartz is a new-comer on the political scene and is opposed to Question 3 on Maryland ballots as well as the war in Iran and was in favor of federal support against flooding.

“The representative … should work for the people of this first congressional district, not for the president or his billionaire friends. That’s what I will do. I will work for you,” Schwartz said. “We really need a representative who cares. I spent my career working on behalf of regular people. That’s what I’ll do.”

The candidates were also asked about potential federal funds for projects on the Eastern Shore that boost environmental resilience. Harris said he was supportive of federal assistance to move residents to higher ground and hard shorelines.

“But instead, the federal government spends two or three or four times as much to do what’s called a soft shoreline,” he said. “Soft shoreline is soft; it doesn’t protect as much as a hard shoreline does. We, when we spend hard-earned federal taxpayer dollars, should do it efficiently, whether it’s not rebuilding in a flood zone, or whether it’s making sure we do the best shore protection we can.”

Schwartz said he was in favor of investment into long term environmental resilience, adding that the Trump Administration’s Big Beautiful Bill had cut $36 million in FEMA grants “for the city of Crisfield that was going to help with flooding remediation.”

“Here in the first congressional district, we have a lot of the first real climate refugees in our country,” he said. “Mother Nature does not care if you’re a Democrat or Republican. A flood could come for any of us and our citizens, our neighbors in Crisfield will deserve to have a federal government that will be helpful and not make their lives harder.”

Another issue asked of the candidates was how they would tackle skyrocketing gas prices.

Schwartz said unnecessary foreign wars were to blame, while criticizing diesel deals with Russia and President Donald Trump’s campaign promise to lower gas prices and “ending forever wars.”

“Making a deal with Russia to lift sanctions on their diesel when they are actively working with Iranian forces to kill our troops is not only wrong, it’s disgusting,” he said.

As for Harris, he said diesel prices were skyrocketing because of Democrats’ environmental regulations limiting the number of refineries. A response that notably received pushback and laughter from forum attendees.

“I called for export limits, to make sure that we keep our diesel produce domestically in this country, where it can be sold at a lower price,” Harris said.

After the forum, both candidates held press conferences at the Chesapeake Grove Intergenerational Center. WMDT asked Schwartz what he had learned from constituents at the debate. He said Harris’ “combative and angry” response towards voters during the forum demonstrated the district hurting “under his leadership.”

“I’ve been relishing this opportunity to get him in front of the voters here who he’s ignored,” Schwartz said. “He hasn’t even held an in-person town hall here in three years. So, I’ve really been relishing that opportunity to get him up here in front of his constituents.”

However, Harris, after being asked why he attended this year’s forum, had a viral combative exchange with reporters and threatened to call police on Capital News Service reporter Cat Murphy for recording him when he incorrectly stated that Maryland’s two-party consent law applied to a public forum. Harris took no further questions and left.

At the time of publication, there are no confirmed plans to hold another forum between the candidates.