Republican State Sen. Andy Harris officially filed his candidacy for Congress, his campaign announced Tuesday, setting up a rematch with Democratic Rep. Frank Kratovil in the First District.

"I am running to be the next member of Congress for Maryland's First District to protect citizens from an out-of-control Congress," Harris, an obstetric anesthesiologist and three-term state senator, said in a statement. "After 18 months of bailouts, government takeovers, the largest national debt in history and trillion dollar spending schemes, it is clear we need new leadership in Washington."

Running from the right two years ago, the conservative Harris unseated the nine-term moderate Republican Rep. Wayne T. Gilchrest in the GOP primary for the district that takes in the Eastern Shore and parts of Harford, Baltimore and Anne Arundel counties. Gilchrest then crossed party lines to endorse and campaign for Kratovil, who narrowly won the district in an election that took several days to be resolved.

Kratovil is scheduled to announce his candidacy Saturday at events in Salisbury and Kent Island.

Harris touted his "solid record on protecting taxpayers from the abuse we're seeing in Congress."

"Marylanders are witnessing firsthand the systematic dismantling of the American dream by this Administration and the majority in Congress, and they want it to stop," he said. "I am running to restore fiscal responsibility to Washington while ending the vast government overreaching endorsed by Congressional leaders and their rank-and-file enablers."

In a statement, Kratovil's campaign manager, Jessica Klonsky, said they look forward to discussing issues such as small businesses, jobs, the bay and government spending.

"We look forward to the debate about which candidate in this race can best provide the kind of independent, common sense leadership that voters across the district are seeking," Klonsky said.