Ellen Sauerbrey

State Republicans gathered for the 18th annual Red, White and Blue fundraiser last night in Linthicum, the party's major fundraiser for the year.

Justin Ready, the party's executive director, told PolitickerMD.com that roughly 400 people attended the event. He said the MDGOP expected to raise "close to $100,000" for the evening.

"This is a big improvement from last year," Ready said. "We're moving forward."

Ehrlich in oilIt's time for PolitickerMD.com's Winner and Losers, and as Barbara Mikulski could attest lately, you win some, you lose some. Also: scandals account for two losers, while Al Wynn cashes in and Bob Ehrlich takes his place in history.

All in Maryland's Winners and Losers for June 6, 2008. | CLICK HERE

Esteemed political analyst Charlie Cook has some advice for Hillary Clinton: 'If you care about your future, don't pull an Ellen Sauerbrey!'

After a bruising contest that saw negative attack ads and arguments about contributions from political action committees, state Sen. Andy Harris defeated nine-term incumbent Rep. Wayne Gilchrest  and state Sen. E.J. Pipkin in the Feb. 12 GOP primary in Maryland's 1st Congressional District.

Since that time, Gilchrest has been highly critical of Harris, leading many to believe that he may endorse the Democratic candidate, Frank Kratovil. His longtime aide, Lynn Caligiuri, joined the Kratovil campaign in April as a finance coordinator. Harris picked-up Pipkin's endorsement.

Despite the divisions between the incumbent congressman and the party's nominee, Harris Campaign Manager Chris Meekins told PolitickerMD.com today that Republicans are "unified behind Andy Harris."

Queen Anne's County State's Attorney Frank Kratovil (D-Stevensville) has presented himself to the voters of Maryland's 1st Congressional District as a moderate, much like the district's current congressman, Wayne Gilchrest (R-Kennedyville).

His opponent, state Sen. Andy Harris (R-Cockeysville) rejects the notion that Kratovil is a moderate, calling him a "Prince George's machine Democrat" during an interview today with PolitickerMD.com.

"The playbook of the national Democratic Party has been to run conservative Democrats in right of center districts," Harris, referring to recent national Democratic victories in conservative areas, said. "That will not work in Maryland's First Congressional District."

Ellen SauerbreyFormer House of Delegates Minority Leader and two-time GOP standardbearer Ellen Sauerbrey endorsed state Sen. Andy Harris for the First District Republican nomination in Annapolis this morning.

Sauerbrey was in the House of Delegates from 1978 to 1994, spending the last eight as minority leader. She was the Republican nominee for governor in 1994 and 1998, losing to Parris Glendening both times. Since 2002, Sauerbrey has served the Bush administration in international matters relating to women and refugees.

"Andy Harris is the type of conservative leader we need in Washington," Sauerbrey said today. "As a resident of the First District, I will be proud to have Andy as my congressman."

"Ellen Sauerbrey brought the Republican Party back to life in Maryland by establishing the Republican Party as the party of fiscal discipline and government restraint," Harris said. "I am proud to have the endorsement of such a respected Republican."