Blog Post
Who Is Congressional Candidate Blane Miller?
Peter Heck • Sep 17, 2024
“Not your typical Democrat” — that’s how Blane Miller III describes himself on the website promoting his candidacy for the District 1 Congressional seat. That’s an intriguing slogan, and it’s reasonable for us voters to ask exactly what it means.
The biographical data isn’t any kind of puzzle. Born and raised in Havre de Grace, Miller attended the local high school, where he was on the wrestling and varsity lacrosse teams. Upon graduation in 1993, he became the third generation in his family to serve in the nation’s military. After training in Naval Air Crew School, Miller completed several deployments, and won numerous medals, ribbons, and citations for his service.
Honorably discharged in 2001, Miller put his naval experience to work as a high-speed photographer and deep-water diver for a contractor testing military equipment at Aberdeen Proving Grounds. He started his own consulting company, BH Miller Group, in 2014, continuing to work as a photographer and diver with construction firms. He is married, with one adult son.
Miller first entered politics in 2002, when he served as a member of the Harford County Republican Central Committee. However, on his first run for office — for Harford County Executive in 2022 — he listed himself as a moderate Democrat. In a candidate profile for the patch.com website, he said, “I am tired of the same lack luster, career politician(s) that are a part of the political machine that is fueled by lobbyist and special interests.” He lost that election, taking just over 30% of the vote against Republican Bob Casilly. Not bad for a first-time candidate in a county with a strong Republican majority of registered voters.
Unsuccessful in his first bid for office, Miller didn’t back off from a bigger challenge in 2024, declaring himself as a Democratic candidate to unseat Republican incumbent Andrew P. Harris in the District 1 Congressional race. In the Democratic primary election held in May, Miller took 60% of the vote against Blessing T. Oluwadare, another former Republican and his only opponent. He now faces the formidable task of unseating Harris, a six-term incumbent who has for much of that time been the only Republican in Maryland’s congressional delegation.
Many of Miller’s positions clearly distinguish him from Harris, who has been called “Dr. No” for his record of frequently voting against legislation that would benefit his constituents. As documented on his website, Miller supports well-funded public education and, in contrast to Harris, opposes public support for alternative and private schools. He is opposed to government oversight of women's personal health decisions. He advocates legislation to ensure the safety of Social Security funds and suggests engaging experts to find ways to enhance the healthcare system.
On the other hand, many of his positions seem likely to appeal to more conservative voters who might not normally support a Democrat. He advocates closing the southern border and reexamining the criteria for granting asylum. At the same time, he recognizes the important economic importance of immigrants. He seeks to balance the arguments of environmentalists and skeptics concerning climate change. He also argues for “common sense measures” such as education and background checks to reduce gun violence while respecting the Second Amendment as “a fundamental right.”
It remains to be seen whether Miller’s “moderate common sense leadership” (as he describes it on his website) will attract some of the conservative voters who have regularly returned his Republican opponent to office, and how much it will appeal to more liberal Democratic voters who hope to see “Dr. No” sent to the sidelines. As noted, he has taken on a daunting challenge, one that has deterred many potential contenders over the years. As chronicled on his FaceBook page, Miller has begun making campaign appearances at sites across the Eastern Shore, traveling in his “tour bus” — an SUV with a trailer displaying his campaign signs.
If you see he’s coming to your neighborhood, why not go find out just who Blane Miller is? It might well provide you with still another incentive to go to the polls this November.
Peter Heck is a Chestertown-based writer and editor, who spent 10 years at the Kent County News and three more with the Chestertown Spy. He is the author of 10 novels and co-author of four plays, a book reviewer for Asimov’s and Kirkus Reviews, and an incorrigible guitarist.
“Not your typical Democrat” — that’s how Blane Miller III describes himself on the website promoting his candidacy for the District 1 Congressional seat. That’s an intriguing slogan, and it’s reasonable for us voters to ask exactly what it means. The biographical data isn’t any kind of puzzle. Born and raised in Havre de Grace, Miller attended the local high school, where he was on the wrestling and varsity lacrosse teams. Upon graduation in 1993, he became the third generation in his family to serve in the nation’s military. After training in Naval Air Crew School, Miller completed several deployments, and won numerous medals, ribbons, and citations for his service. Honorably discharged in 2001, Miller put his naval experience to work as a high-speed photographer and deep-water diver for a contractor testing military equipment at Aberdeen Proving Grounds. He started his own consulting company, BH Miller Group, in 2014, continuing to work as a photographer and diver with construction firms. He is married, with one adult son. Miller first entered politics in 2002, when he served as a member of the Harford County Republican Central Committee. However, on his first run for office — for Harford County Executive in 2022 — he listed himself as a moderate Democrat. In a candidate profile for the patch.com website, he said, “I am tired of the same lack luster, career politician(s) that are a part of the political machine that is fueled by lobbyist and special interests.” He lost that election, taking just over 30% of the vote against Republican Bob Casilly. Not bad for a first-time candidate in a county with a strong Republican majority of registered voters. Unsuccessful in his first bid for office, Miller didn’t back off from a bigger challenge in 2024, declaring himself as a Democratic candidate to unseat Republican incumbent Andrew P. Harris in the District 1 Congressional race. In the Democratic primary election held in May, Miller took 60% of the vote against Blessing T. Oluwadare, another former Republican and his only opponent. He now faces the formidable task of unseating Harris, a six-term incumbent who has for much of that time been the only Republican in Maryland’s congressional delegation. Many of Miller’s positions clearly distinguish him from Harris, who has been called “Dr. No” for his record of frequently voting against legislation that would benefit his constituents. As documented on his website , Miller supports well-funded public education and, in contrast to Harris, opposes public support for alternative and private schools. He is opposed to government oversight of women's personal health decisions. He advocates legislation to ensure the safety of Social Security funds and suggests engaging experts to find ways to enhance the healthcare system. On the other hand, many of his positions seem likely to appeal to more conservative voters who might not normally support a Democrat. He advocates closing the southern border and reexamining the criteria for granting asylum. At the same time, he recognizes the important economic importance of immigrants. He seeks to balance the arguments of environmentalists and skeptics concerning climate change. He also argues for “common sense measures” such as education and background checks to reduce gun violence while respecting the Second Amendment as “a fundamental right.” It remains to be seen whether Miller’s “moderate common sense leadership” (as he describes it on his website) will attract some of the conservative voters who have regularly returned his Republican opponent to office, and how much it will appeal to more liberal Democratic voters who hope to see “Dr. No” sent to the sidelines. As noted, he has taken on a daunting challenge, one that has deterred many potential contenders over the years. As chronicled on his FaceBook page, Miller has begun making campaign appearances at sites across the Eastern Shore, traveling in his “tour bus” — an SUV with a trailer displaying his campaign signs. If you see he’s coming to your neighborhood, why not go find out just who Blane Miller is? It might well provide you with still another incentive to go to the polls this November. Peter Heck is a Chestertown-based writer and editor, who spent 10 years at the Kent County News and three more with the Chestertown Spy. He is the author of 10 novels and co-author of four plays, a book reviewer for Asimov’s and Kirkus Reviews, and an incorrigible guitarist.
Members of the Maryland Legislative LGBTQ+ Caucus are accusing former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan of not standing up for the LGBTQ+ community. Hogan, the Republican nominee for Maryland’s U.S. Senate seat, has proven he is not an ally to LGBTQ+ Marylanders, a statement from five members of the caucus reads. All are Democrats. Caucus members said it is critical that the Democratic candidate, Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, beats Hogan in November. “I see the indifference that Larry Hogan expresses and it causes me great pause,” Del. Kris Fair (D-3A) told Capital News Service . “It should cause every LGBTQ+ community member great pause about his ability to support our community.” The caucus spoke out after Hogan recently dismissed an LGBTQ+ Maryland voter’s concerns about his record at a campaign event, according to the statement and reporting from The Advocate . In addition to Fair, who is the chair of the Maryland Legislative LGBTQ+ Caucus, the statement was signed by Del. Anne Kaiser (D-14), Del. Joe Vogel (D-17), Del. Ashanti Martinez (D-22), and Del. Bonnie Cullison (D-19). During his time as governor, Hogan elected to not sign several LGBTQ+ rights bills, including one that protects victims from hate crimes based on their identity. Hogan did not veto or directly oppose the bill and it ended up becoming law without his signature. Hogan choosing not to sign bills that would protect LGBTQ+ individuals indicated to Cullison that he doesn’t understand the challenges facing the community. LGBTQ+ people rely on laws to give them protections, she said. “For political reasons, he felt it was important that his name not be on those bills,” Cullison told CNS . In 2018, Hogan signed a bill into law that bans conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ youth. Cullison — who was a leader in this effort — said it was “an easy one for him to sign.” Anti-conversion bills were already passing across the country and politics were on his side, she said. Since Hogan signed the bill, similar laws have been enacted in Utah, Virginia, and Michigan. “He’s just been responsive,” she said. “He hasn’t been proactive.” Martinez thinks Hogan has been silent about the concerns of LGBTQ+ community members and that indicates how the former governor would act in the U.S. Senate if he is elected. “He decided not to sign these bills,” Martinez told CNS . “I think that’s a clear indiciation to LGBTQ folks and our allies across this state that he is not the champion that we know Angela Alsobrooks will be.” As governor, Hogan allowed measures to take effect that extend coverage of IVF treatment to same-sex couples and allow transgender people to revise their birth certificates, Hogan campaign spokesperson Blake Kernen said in a statement to CNS . He also appointed the first openly LGBTQ+ person to serve as chief judge of a Maryland appellate court, Kernen wrote. “After calling for ‘tolerance and mutual respect’ in his inaugural address, Governor Hogan supported LGBTQ community priorities throughout his time in office,” she wrote. “Maryland has a bipartisan legacy of supporting the LGBTQ community, and Governor Hogan looks forward to building on this work in the Senate.” Hogan walked in the Annapolis Pride Parade in June, sporting a Pride sticker and lei. His campaign posted on Facebook dozens of pictures of Hogan with attendees at the parade. “Maryland is a mosaic of diverse communities and cultures, and that’s one of many things that makes our great state so special,” Hogan said in a statement. “As governor, I was proud to represent all Marylanders, and that’s exactly the leader I’ll be in the United States Senate.” Martinez, a resident of Prince George’s County, said he has witnessed Alsobrooks supporting the LGBTQ+ community during her time as county executive. He appreciates that prominent members of her staff are part of the LGBTQ+ community. Alsobrooks has held listening sessions, attended Pride events, and created an LGBTQ+ liaison position in her office, Martinez said. “It is really important that we have ourselves represented in all facets of government,” Martinez said. Cullison agrees that Alsobrooks is the candidate for U.S. Senate that will stand with LGBTQ+ community members. “Angela Alsobrooks will be the senator who will fight the fight with us,” she said. “She’s supportive and advocates and won’t back down and won’t hide behind not signing something.” If elected senator, Alsobrooks said she plans to co-sponsor the Equality Act — a bill that would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity in public accommodations and facilities — and oppose Republican efforts to undermine equality, she wrote in a statement to CNS . The Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, endorsed Alsobrooks this summer. “What we understand is that this race in Maryland will likely decide whether Democrats or Republicans control the Senate Majority. Republicans have made it clear that no such votes to protect and elevate our LGBTQ+ community will come to the Floor if they take back the Majority,” Alsobrooks wrote in her statement. Fair said that while Hogan may not propose bills that directly harm the LGBTQ+ community, he will likely allow other Republicans to do so. “Larry Hogan is the symptom of a problem coming down the road that’s going to be devastating for our community,” Fair said. Read the Legislative LGBTQ+ Caucus statement . Capital News Service is a student-powered news organization run by the University of Maryland Philip Merrill College of Journalism. For 26 years, they have provided deeply reported, award-winning coverage of issues of import to Marylanders.
Democrat Angela Alsobrooks holds a 5-point lead over Republican Larry Hogan in their campaign for U.S. Senate, according to a poll released September 4.
The newly released Gonzales poll shows Alsobrooks leading Hogan 46%-41% with 11% still undecided.
Music generates passion and emotion, so it’s little surprise that popular tunes have been featured in presidential contests since the days of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.
At a time when agricultural land is being swallowed up for big developments, Black as well as White farmers are in jeopardy. Sussex County Administrator, Todd F. Lawson, said on September 21, 2023, “Agriculture is the number one industry in Sussex County and it’s important now, more than ever, with a growing population and increased pressure on the agriculture industry, that we work hard to keep ag as the centerpiece of Delaware’s economy.” Sussex County Council’s contribution in 2023 totaled nearly $1 million. By the Numbers: Delaware’s 2022 Census of Agriculture reveals there were 1,053 farms statewide, a decline from 2,500 in 2010 The average size of the farm was 249 acres The real estate average value per acre in 2018 was $8,410; in 2022, it was $9,800 per acre, an increase of 5.4% Irrigated rented cropland was valued at $174 per acre in 2022 and $183 in 2023. Non-irrigated cropland in 2022 was $94.50 per acre and $97.50 in 2023 Sussex County had 262,079 acres of farmland; Kent County 187,248 acres, and New Castle 73,507 acres 2,507 farmers were male; 1,305 female 345 farmers were under age 35; 1,986 were 35-64 years old; 1,481 were 65 and older 3,654 farmers were White and 24 were Black Farmland Preservation Governor John Carney said, “Preserving farmland protects Delaware’s agriculture heritage and its number one industry. That’s why we allocated $20 million in last year’s budget (2022) to help preserve farms from the ground up. This year’s process was very competitive. Twenty-one offers were submitted. The foundation ( Delaware Agricultural Lands Preservation Foundation ) selected 60 farms encompassing 5,353 acres to purchase the development rights.” Since 1996, the Foundation has selected farms approved for easement purchase. In the ensuing years, 22% of New Castle County farmland, 39% of Kent County farmland, and 19% of Sussex County farmland has been preserved. The foundation does not own the land, but purchases landowners’ development rights and places a permanent agricultural conservation easement on the property. In 2023, 151,257 acres of farmland (four farms in New Castle County, 16 in Kent County, and 40 in Sussex County) were preserved. In 2021, 23 farms in Kent County and 22 farms in Sussex County were preserved by the Delaware Agricultural Lands Preservation Foundation. In addition, Delaware’s Aglands Preservation Program has more than 45,500 acres of land enrolled in 10-year farmland preservation districts. Delaware has a total of 1.3 million acres. In addition to state funding, other partners include county government funds and federal partners from the departments of Agriculture and Defense. To be eligible for the preservation program, farms must meet the following eligibility requirements: The property must be zoned for agriculture and not subject to any major subdivision plan The property must meet the minimum Land Evaluation and Site Assessment (LESA) score of 170. LESA attempts to estimate the farm’s long-term viability based on the farm’s soil productivity, land use, and agriculture infrastructure on and around the farm. Scores range from 0-300 The property must be working farmland with at least $1,000 in agricultural sales annually and generally have at least 10 acres of cropland Farms of 200 acres or more constitute an agricultural district Farms under 200 acres can enter the program it they are within three miles of an existing agricultural district Jessica Clark is a graduate of the University of Maryland School of Journalism. After a 30-year career as a Public Information Specialist and photojournalist for several federal agencies, she retired to Georgetown, Del. She restored former Governor John Collins’ 1790s home on Collins Pond and is a Sussex County Master Gardener.
Many, perhaps most, people here on the Eastern Shore, especially the large number of Republicans, don’t realize how important immigrants have become to our local agricultural economy, as well as to our seafood industry. Without the presence of immigrants, largely from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Haiti, our economy would flounder. That’s why it’s important to look at how the candidates in the November 5 election stand on that issue. I. House of Representatives Republican Congressman Andrew P. Harris has made statements condemning immigrants who enter the country illegally, but as a member of Congress for years has made no effort to support efforts to make legal immigration easier. This is not surprising given his strong support for Trump and the MAGA agenda. He did vote for the Secure the Border Act of 2023, which, among other things, would have forced the Biden administration to restart construction of a border wall, increase the number of Border Patrol agents, and provide bonus pay, but would have done nothing to facilitate legal immigration. Andrew P. Harris’s Democratic opponent, Blane Miller, was formerly a Republican himself, but has taken a more enlightened position on immigration. His website includes the following statement: “First, economic growth relies on a dynamic workforce, and immigrants contribute significantly to innovation, entrepreneurship, and productivity.” He goes on to say that refugees and vulnerable populations seek protection, that a well-regulated immigration system allows the U.S. to fulfill its humanitarian obligations, and that legal avenues for employers to access skilled workers are essential for sustained economic prosperity. II. The Senate The candidates in Maryland’s Senate race are Democrat Angela Alsobrooks and Republican Larry Hogan. Angela Alsobrooks, as state’s attorney for Prince George’s County, strongly supported legislation to allow undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses. She was also vocal in her support of the Maryland Dream Act. As county executive she instructed the County Department of Corrections to notify U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) only in cases where an undocumented immigrant was arrested and charged with gang-related or violent criminal offenses. She was opposed to deportation for minor offenses such as speeding tickets. If elected to the Senate, she pledges to be a strong advocate of comprehensive immigration reform, including creating a pathway to citizenship for those already living and working in the U.S. She will also support legislation in support of Dreamers, believing that these persons “deserve certainty and security.” For more on Alsobrook’s views on immigration, see her website . Immigration doesn’t seem to be a big issue in the campaign of former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan. He has stated , however, that he decided to enter the race when Republicans in the Senate killed the bipartisan border bill under orders from Donald Trump. In an op-ed he wrote for the Washington Post on July 9, 2024, Hogan expressed strong condemnation of Project 2025, which is Machiavellian on the subject of immigration and which is strongly supported by Trump. As governor, Hogan vetoed an immigration bill introduced by Delegate Vaughn M. Stewart (D-19), that would have required that counties that have agreements with ICE to jail detainees to end their contracts. Hogan argued that local law enforcement should “fully cooperate with federal law enforcement.” He vetoed another bill to limit cooperation with federal authorities (House Bill 23). The candidate’s campaign website presents no official statement on immigration. (In fact, there was a paucity of statements on issues in general.) III. The Presidency In the presidential election, Democrat Kamala Harris faces off with Donald Trump, who can’t wait to declare himself dictator and who already had a disastrous term as president, ending with his leading a mass attack on the U.S. Capitol. Kamala Harris just came out of the Democratic National Convention, where she and her running mate, Tim Walz, delivered uplifting speeches accepting their nominations, bringing an unprecedented level of excitement and joy to the crowd. The daughter of immigrants herself, Kamala has a long history of supporting immigrant communities. As state’s attorney in San Francisco from 2004 to 2010, she went after abusive employers and encouraged immigrants to feel safe when dealing with law enforcement. She has supported legislation that would provide a path to citizenship to undocumented immigrants, and she supported Biden’s Bipartisan Border Security Bill in 2021. Of her work as California’s attorney general, she said recently at a campaign event in Georgia: “I went after transnational gangs, drug cartels, and human traffickers that came into our country illegally,” and added, “I prosecuted them in case after case, and I won.” President Biden gave her the mission of overseeing diplomatic efforts in Central America, also in 2021. She brought together the Partnership for Central America to act as liaison between companies and the U.S. Government. This effort has led to job creation in the region, and some experts have saluted her ability to secure private sector investments in the region. Harris visited the border with Mexico in 2021, and declared that “This issue cannot be reduced to a political issue. We’re talking about children; we’re talking about families; we’re talking about suffering.” The Republican Party platform, on which one assumes Trump is basing his campaign, was published in July. It was developed by Trump’s campaign in conjunction with the Republican National Committee. Its priorities on immigration are succinct: “Seal the border and stop the migrant invasion.” The platform promises to restore all the border policies of the previous Trump administration, including finishing his long-promised border wall and moving troops now overseas to the border. “Carry out the largest deportation operation in American history.” It should be noted in this context that 1.1 million immigrants have been deported so far during the Biden administration, while 1.5 million were deported during Trump’s term. “Stop the migrant crime epidemic, demolish the foreign drug cartels, crush gang violence, and lock up violent offenders.” According to the Brennan Center for Justice , the data doesn’t support the claim that the U.S. is experiencing a surge in crime caused by immigrants. They cite one study that found that undocumented immigrants are 33% less likely to be jailed than those born in the U.S. “Stop sanctuary cities.” “Ensure that the legal immigration system puts American workers first.” IV. Conclusions The candidates of both parties express the view that border security is essential, but it appears to be of the highest priority for Andrew P. Harris and Donald Trump. For Hogan’s Senate campaign, it appears not to be an important issue at all, despite the importance of immigrants in our state’s economy. None of the candidates seem to be acknowledging the realities our country, including the Eastern Shore, face in the 21st century, namely that: Our native-born citizens are aging and thereby contributing less to the national economy The native birth rate has been steadily dropping for some time now As a result, there are fewer citizens available to do the jobs U.S. natives are unwilling to do manual labor and are happy to hand those jobs to immigrants In view of the above, the Trump proposal for a massive deportation of undocumented immigrants not only makes no sense, but also undermines national security. Until there is legislation passed that facilitates legal immigration, especially from our neighbors to the south, we will have to continue to depend on those brave, and often desperate, people who continue to come without proper documentation. A native of Wicomico County, George Shivers holds a doctorate from the University of Maryland and taught in the Foreign Language Dept. of Washington College for 38 years before retiring in 2007. He is also very interested in the history and culture of the Eastern Shore, African American history in particular.
© Common Sense for the Eastern Shore, 2024
Title image: Monarch butterfly wing and purple asters. Photo: pixnio
