Andy Harris, Dan Schwartz clash over Trump’s diesel deal in 1st District debate

Republican Rep. Andy Harris and Democratic challenger Dan Schwartz challenged each other in a rapid-fire forum Tuesday night filled with sharp exchanges over the Iran war, what’s best for the 1st District’s farmers, and federal budget cuts.

Responding to a question about President Donald Trump lifting Russian oil sanctions to lower diesel prices, Harris said he opposed Trump’s deal and blamed Democratic environmental policy for the diesel price spikes that followed Trump’s war in Iran.

The overflow audience of roughly 200 people at the Chesapeake Grove Intergenerational Center in Cambridge erupted in laughter at the answer. It was one of several moments when Harris lost his cool with the crowd, setting the tone for the evening.

“You should let me finish the sentence, man. You are rude. You’re rude,” Harris said, approaching an audience member who disagreed with him.

Harris gestured, pointed at the audience and scolded them, saying they were infringing on his First Amendment right to state his position.

At one point, a moderator for the 90-minute event stopped questions and instructed both candidates to tell their supporters to let the candidates finish answering.

Harris, who is seeking his ninth term in Congress, entered the League of Women Voters forum to cheers. The audience welcomed Schwartz with even louder clapping and sustained cheers and whoops.

Candidates weren’t supposed to debate each other’s positions but only answer questions posed to them by audience members. That didn’t keep them from attacking each other on immigration, tariffs, federal budget cuts, Social Security, healthcare and Israel.

Schwartz slammed Harris over Republican cuts to healthcare that will shortchange some Eastern Shore residents. Harris defended the GOP’s $50 billion rural healthcare supplement that will benefit Maryland.

After several of Schwartz’s responses, Harris stood up, pointed to him and said, “You’re entitled to your opinion, but not your own set of facts.”

Both candidates stressed their support for farmers struggling to pay their bills amid global tariff wars.

Harris said his party improved crop insurance protections for farmers. Schwartz said farmers don’t want government handouts.

“They want to be able to sell their crop,” he said.

Schwartz got in plenty of quips. One came after Harris backed Republicans’ effort to add work requirements to government healthcare programs.

“Congress has been on so much vacation this year. These guys have not even worked enough to meet those requirements themselves,” Schwartz said.

There were rare points of agreement. Both oppose redrawing the 1st District amid the national redistricting battle for control of Congress. A measure on the November ballot, should voters approve, could make it easier for Democrats in Annapolis to make it harder for Republicans to win.

Harris told the audience that the ballot question would be their most important decision. If it’s approved, he said, “the Eastern Shore will always be ruled by a Western Shore politician who does not have the watermen, farmers, poultry industry or tourism industry top on their mind.”

Schwartz, in a post-debate interview, criticized Harris for not opposing Republican redistricting in multiple states pushed by Trump. Schwartz said he is against redistricting because that’s what voters across all parties have told him: They don’t want it.

“Our opposition to it could not be more different,” he said.

After the debate, Harris invited reporters into a separate room for questions and answers. Harris shut down reporters’ questions that he said were “silly.” He told one reporter that she, in a pack of reporters also recording him, was not allowed to record. Harris called for his staff to summon police to have the reporter removed when she continued recording.