09-05-2025
Jake Day v. Andy Harris? What we know now about possible 1st District showdown
Could a big showdown be on the horizon in Maryland's 1st District?
Here's what we know now about the possibility of Jake Day, current Maryland Secretary of Housing and Community Development, running against longtime GOP incumbent Rep. Andy Harris in the 2026 election.
Maryland Matters has reported that Day, who previously served as Salisbury mayor and as president of its City Council, "is beginning to raise money for a possible challenge to U.S. Rep. Andy Harris (R-1st.)"
Reached for a statement May 8, Day confirmed the Maryland Matters reporting that he has set up an exploratory campaign committee under the Federal Election Commission's 'testing the waters' guidelines for candidate, and is soliciting donations to pay for a poll to gauge his strength in a hypothetical general election against Harris.
"I'm flattered by the number of people who have been reaching out asking me about this and to consider it,," Day told Delmarva Now on May 8. "However, I'm focused on my day job helping address Maryland's housing crisis and growing our economy."
Stay tuned for all developments on this big race as they develop, and here's more on Jake Day and Andy Harris.
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Before joining the cabinet of Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Day served as president of the Salisbury City Council from 2013-2015 and as the city's mayor from 2015-2023.
He was confirmed as Maryland's Secretary of Housing and Community Development on March 2, 2023.
Andy Harris has represented Maryland's Eastern Shore for eight terms now, first elected to the U.S. House in 2011.
Before that, Harris, the only Republican in Maryland's current congressional delegation, served in the state Senate from 1999-2011.
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This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: Will Jake Day enter 1st District race v. Andy Harris? What we know.
