Mizeur considering a run against anti-LGBTQ Md. congressman
Former Maryland state Del. Heather Mizeur on Friday said she is considering a run for Congressman Andy Harris’ seat for what she deemed his “resume of conduct unbecoming.”
“As you know, the events of January 6th made me consider a challenge to Congressman Andy Harris for his role in the treasonous insurrection against our government,” wrote Mizeur in a post she first posted first to a personal Facebook page on Thursday.
She later followed up with a longer, more detailed post to her professional page on Friday.
“His actions today pushed me to think even harder about a run,” she wrote, referencing Harris’ being caught carrying a concealed weapon into the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 21.
Mizeur, who is a lesbian, represented Montgomery County in the House of Delegates from 2007-2015. She sponsored a slew of legislation on issues that include extended health insurance for women, children and disadvantaged groups in Maryland.
In 2009, she advised the Obama administration on best state practices to be included in the Affordable Care Act.
Mizeur ran for governor in 2014. She is the
founder and CEO of Soul Force Politics, a nonprofit that promotes nonviolent
resistance and peaceful social interaction.
Harris, a Republican who has represented
Maryland’s 1st Congressional District since 2011, has sponsored many anti-LGBTQ
bills since he arrived in Congress. Mia Mason, a transgender woman and veteran,
in 2020 failed to unseat him.
Harris in December joined 106 Congressional House Republicans who supported Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s unsuccessful lawsuit that challenged the 2020 presidential election results. Harris’ decision to challenge the certification of the Electoral College results on Jan. 6 — the same day supporters of then-President Trump stormed the Capitol — has prompted calls for his resignation.
“Today, some Marylanders are even calling for
my resignation, which I will not do,” Harris said in a Jan. 7 statement
condemning the violence but supporting their “concerns.”
He tweeted and posted the statement to his
House website.
“I am not sure what Congressman Harris should do,” Republican Gov. Larry Hogan responded when Jake Tapper on CNN’s State of the Union asked him in a Jan. 10 interview if he felt Harris should resign. “But I was extremely outraged at some of the things he did and said.”
The Washington Post on Thursday reported
the U.S. Capitol Police has launched an investigation into Harris after he reportedly
tried to bring a weapon onto the House floor.
Mizeur in her Facebook post stated Harris’ gun
incident was a “tipping point” that pushed her to seriously consider
challenging him in the midterm elections.
“We can unseat Harris and bring dignified leadership to Maryland’s 1st District,” she wrote.
Mizeur on Friday sent the Washington Blade her Facebook post when reached for comment.
Published at Sat, 23 Jan 2021 00:33:38 +0000
Source: Mizeur considering a run against anti-LGBTQ Md. congressman