Eastern Shore resident and longtime business executive George M. Walish Jr. has filed with the Maryland State Board of Elections as a Democratic candidate for Maryland’s 1st Congressional District, formally launching his campaign to unseat Republican Rep. Andy Harris in the 2026 election.
Walish, of Earleville, is one of two candidates currently registered for the June 2026 primary. A former senior executive at BMW of North America and a former elected commissioner of the Town of St. Michaels, Walish brings decades of leadership across education, labor, and industry to his first bid for federal office.
“I believe we can do better for our working families, for the health of the Chesapeake Bay, and for the small towns and rural communities that make this district special,” Walish said. “I’m running to bring open, honest, and accountable leadership to Washington, and to make sure the voices of Eastern Shore and upper Baltimore County residents are heard.”
Born into a working-class neighborhood outside Philadelphia, Walish paid his way through college as a union laborer, carpenter, and sheet metal worker. He graduated with honors from Biscayne College in Miami, Florida, now St. Thomas University, with a degree in business, and later taught high school social studies and coached basketball and baseball in Hialeah, Florida.
Walish has cultivated a lifelong relationship with the Chesapeake Bay and a deep respect for the people who work on its waters and shores—an experience that continues to shape his views on environmental and economic policy.
His business career includes notable leadership tenures with Xerox Corporation, Chrysler, and BMW, where he rose to become one of the company’s youngest senior executives in North America.
As BMW’s Senior Executive in North America, he led the entire company’s integration of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and chaired BMW’s Diversity Committee. Under his leadership, the company expanded diversity efforts across its workforce and dealership network.
Walish established his love for Maryland while visiting his maternal family’s small cottage in Earleville as a young child. Maryland became his permanent home in the early ’90s, with Walish first living in St. Michaels, and later landing back in Earleville, where he restored the home he knew as a child in 2023 and continues today.
Since retiring in 2005, Walish has remained active in bettering the lives of Marylanders through his civic contributions.
He was elected a town commissioner in St. Michaels and founded the St. Michaels Concours d’Elegance, a nationally ranked classic car show that raised nearly $500,000 for area nonprofits, including the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum and the American Red Cross of the Delmarva Peninsula. The Red Cross recognized him with its Public Support Award for his philanthropic work.
Walish says his campaign will prioritize environmental stewardship, support for watermen and farmers, the creation of clean-energy jobs, and real-time constituent engagement.
“My focus will be on the health of the Chesapeake Bay, programs that support watermen and farmers, the creation of clean jobs, and listening to the needs of my constituents,” Walish said.
The 2026 primary election is scheduled for June, with the general election to follow in November. The winner will represent Maryland’s 1st District in the U.S. House of Representatives for a two-year term.
To learn more about George M. Walish Jr. and his campaign, visit www.walishforcongress.org.
