EASTON -- The legislative chair of the Sierra Club's Maryland chapter says Republican Andy Harris "is one of the most vicious people you could possibly imagine."

Jan Graham made the comments at a fundraiser for Congressional candidate Frank Kratovil (D- Stevensville) on Friday.

"I testified before Andy Harris's committee on more than one occasion. Andy Harris is one of the most vicious people you could possibly imagine," Graham told the crowd about the state Senator from Cockeysville who is Kratovil's Republican opponent.

Graham says she "took the abuse" because she was there representing a group, but claimed Harris gave citizens the same bad treatment.

"Citizens who came and took their time to talk about an issue that was important to them and Andy Harris shredded them," said Graham. "This is not the man who represents the values that we stand for in any sense of the word."

Graham then presented the Kratovil campaign with a check for $2,000 on behalf of the Sierra Club.

Harris's campaign manager, Chris Meekins, responded to the comments in an email to PolitickerMD.com, saying politics should be about ideas not attacking a sitting state Senator.

"It is disappointing Kratovil and his supporters would resort to the politics of personal destruction," said Meekins.

Kratovil, the Queen Anne's County state's Attorney, and Harris are currently competing for Maryland's 1st Congressional District seat. The 1st district includes 12 of the 23 counties in the state, which encompasses all of the Eastern Shore and portions of Harford, Anne Arundel and Baltimore counties.

The Kratovil-Harris race is ranked the 52nd most competitive U.S. House race in the nation on Politicker.com's Pindell Report. Politicker.com's Managing Editor James Pindell lists the race as "Leans Republican."

Over 50 people attended the fundraiser which had no specific ticket price, according to the Kratovil campaign.