“As a policy expert, a former elected official, gubernatorial candidate, a farmer, and the founder and CEO of a non-profit organization focused on social justice who has served the Eastern Shore through her Career Heather Mizeur is deeply rooted in our Eastern Shore community and way of life, committed to bettering the lives of Eastern Shore families. Mizeur’s work to reach across the aisle and build consensus with people of all stripes has allowed her to expand healthcare to young adults, lead efforts to decriminalize marijuana and work to protect our pristine environment. I have seen the enormous good Heather Mizeur has done for the Shore. I look forward to continuing our shared work on behalf of everyday families across the Shore and district.” – LSPC Chair Jared Schablein.
In less than a year, Heather Mizeur has already shown that she is the most qualified candidate to take on radical Andy Harris and represent the vital needs of the Eastern Shore in Congress. As a farmer, a wife, and a public servant with deep roots on the Eastern Shore, Heather Mizeur spent her career listening to and helping solve problems facing the Eastern Shore and our state. Now she is bringing that same dedication and understanding to her work as a candidate for Congress here in MD-01, holding town halls and meet & greets across the newly drawn district and championing legislation to boost economic growth through a living wage for workers, cutting taxes for the middle class and small businesses, making the wealthy pay their fair share by closing corporate tax loopholes for large corporations, and enhancing public safety policies including reforming the criminal justice system.
Heather Mizeur knows personally what it means to worry about the rising costs of health insurance and accessibility to the care you need. As a State Delegate, she authored the Kids First Act, a piece of legislation that served as a national model to find and enroll tens of thousands of qualified uninsured children into health plans. She also brought together a robust bipartisan coalition to pass the Family Planning Works Act. This transformational legislation improved pregnancy outcomes and lowered infant mortality rates, while also reducing abortions. Finally, her Family Coverage Expansion Act made Maryland one of the first states to allow young adults to stay on their family health plans until age 26. This policy would go national under the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare).
A heavily suburban base anchors the new Maryland’s 1st District outside of Annapolis. However, the district also stretches over the Bay and includes the entire Eastern Shore. That’s why Heather Mizeur understands that the beauty and wonder of the Eastern Shore must be protected for future generations while ensuring the Shore’s farmers and watermen remain part of the lifeblood of the Shore’s economy and bounty. That is why Mizeur has created her Agri-Climate plan. This plan aims to create a new project called the National Soil Health Initiative (NSHI) through the USDA that would address saltwater intrusion problems. Grow the carbon credit market to allow farmers to get paid for mitigating the effects of climate change through soil-based carbon sequestration. Finally, reform conservation programs to streamline the process.
There is no doubt that Heather’s policies and ability to build a broad coalition has caused panic among Andy Harris and his campaign.
However, Heather Mizeur has a proven ability to expand her political network and base beyond her natural political supporters, thanks to her unique ability to present common-sense ideas that some consider “progressive” in ways that are palatable to centrist and independent voters. In response to Heather’s popularity, Andy Harris’s campaign began sending out fundraising letters saying, “My Democrat opponent Heather Mizeur outraised me by $100,000 in the last quarter,” the outside of the envelope reads, “If I don’t do this, Maryland will lose its only Republican Congressman.”
Combine her prolific fundraising ability with her massive coalition of supporters, including federal, state, and local leaders, farmers, watermen, environmentalists, Progressives, Centrists, Conservatives, Democrats, Republicans, and third-party voters, it is clear that Andy Harris is facing the most significant challenge ever in his political career.
There is no doubt that defeating Andy Harris and protecting our democracy and institutions are the top priorities in the First District in 2022. We cannot afford to lose and Heather Mizeur is the only candidate who can beat Andy Harris in a tough year for Democrats in 2022. The Lower Shore Progressive Caucus is committed to doing everything in our power to make sure Heather wins.