Freshman Representative Frank Kratovil is perhaps the most endangered Democratic incumbent, and that's saying something in a year full of vulnerable Dems. Kratovil won Maryland's 1st district in 2008 against conservative Republican state senator Andy Harris 49.1% to 48.3% — a difference of just 2,852 votes.
Last time around, conservative Harris helped Kratovil by unseating nine-term GOP incumbent Wayne Gilchrest, a moderate, in the primary. With the help of the Obama wave and Gilchrest's endorsement, Kratovil was able to squeak by his opponent. This time Harris is running again, but the mood of the country favors him in the rematch. After all, the Harris-Gilchrest primary battle of 2008 has played out across the country, as Tea Party candidates have taken down some of the Republican Party's most entrenched politicians, from Senators Bob Bennett in Utah and Lisa Murkowski in Alaska to Mike Castle in Delaware. And that Tea Party energy is fueling Harris' race.