Frank Kratovil

It had been in Republican hands for all but 14 years since 1947, although Kratovil received a significant boost when Gilchrest endorsed him over Harris.

In June, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) decided to back Kratovil's campaign financially through their Red to Blue program.

Kratovil, who is considered a moderate, picked up a number of endorsements from local Eastern Shore Republicans as well as Democrats.

He also received an endorsement from the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of fiscally conservative congressional Democrats.

CQ Politics designated the race as "No Clear Favorite."

The November election was close, as expected.

On election night, Kratovil led Harris by 915 votes.

After two rounds of counting absentee ballots, Kratovil's lead grew to 2,000 votes.

Forecasting that it would be nearly impossible for Harris to close the gap, most media outlets declared Kratovil the winner on the night of November 7.

Frank Michael Kratovil Jr. (born May 29, 1968) is an American politician who was the U.S. representative for Maryland's 1st congressional district from 2009 to 2011.

Kratovil attended high school at Queen Anne School in Upper Marlboro and graduated in 1986.

Kratovil received his bachelor's degree in 1990 from Western Maryland College.

He joined Phi Delta Theta while there and played soccer, basketball and baseball.

In soccer, he served as Captain for three years, was named to the Middle-Atlantic Conference All-Conference Team and received the Most Valuable Offensive Player Award and the Homer Earl Outstanding Player Award.

Upon graduation, he was awarded the Bates Prize for the Most Outstanding Graduating Male, the Charles W. Havens Award, awarded to an intercollegiate athlete who "has shown by word and deeds the attributes of charity, altruism, benevolence, and a humane and compassionate concern for his fellow man", and the Carroll County Scholar-Athlete Award.

Kratovil then graduated with honors from University of Baltimore School of Law in 1994.

He served from 1994 to 1995 as Law Clerk for Judge Darlene G. Perry of Prince George's County Circuit Court.

From 1995 to 1997 he served as Assistant State's Attorney for Prince George's County, Maryland.

In 1997, Kratovil moved to the Eastern Shore and was appointed Assistant State's Attorney for Queen Anne's County, Maryland.

During his tenure as Assistant State's Attorney he served as the county's only full-time Prosecutor and Community Prosecutor.

He also served as the President of the Young Democrats of Maryland from 1997 to 1998, and in 1998 was selected to represent the United States on the American Council of Young Political Leaders' delegation to Taiwan.

He was also a member and on the executive committee of the Queen Anne's County local management board.

He continued to serve as Assistant State's Attorney until 2001 when he was appointed as Deputy State's Attorney in Kent County, Maryland.

In 2002, Kratovil ran for the office of State's Attorney in Queen Anne's County and was elected after defeating four-term incumbent David Gregory in the primary and Republican Paul W. Comfort in the general election.

Kratovil assumed office at the age of 34 making him the youngest State's Attorney in Maryland.

He was elected by his fellow State's Attorneys to be President of the Maryland State's Attorneys' Association (MDSAA) for 2005.

During his time as President of the MDSAA, he pushed for stronger legislation to expand prosecution of gangs and increased awareness of growing problems with drugs and gangs in Maryland's rural areas.

He ran unopposed for re-election in 2006.

On June 4, 2007, Kratovil announced that he would run for Congress in Maryland's 1st congressional district.

During the February 12 primary, Kratovil defeated fellow Democrats Christopher Robinson, Steve Harper, and Joseph Werner.

Kratovil expected to face nine-term Republican incumbent Wayne Gilchrest, a leading Republican moderate, in the general election.

However, Gilchrest was ousted in the Republican primary by a considerably more conservative Republican, State Senator Andy Harris.

This significantly changed the race, as Kratovil was now running for an open seat rather than against a long-term incumbent.

Kratovil was initially a heavy underdog due to the district's election history.

Although Democrats and Republicans were nearly tied in registration, the district has a strong tinge of social conservatism that had given Republicans an advantage for most of the time since the end of World War II.

Elected in 2008, he was defeated in his bid for reelection on November 2, 2010.

Kratovil is a member of the Democratic Party.

He previously served as State's Attorney of Queen Anne's County on Maryland's Eastern Shore, and he was appointed as a judge for the county's District Court by Governor Martin O'Malley in December 2011.

Frank Kratovil was born in Lanham, Maryland, and spent his childhood in Prince George's County, Maryland.

He is the son of Frank M. Kratovil Sr. and Lynnda Kratovil.