QUEENSTOWN, Md. — Former Maryland state delegate and gubernatorial candidate Heather Mizeur won the Democratic primary in the state’s 1st Congressional District on Tuesday.

With 310 of 312 precincts in the district reporting as of Wednesday, Mizeur had garnered nearly 69 percent of the primary vote in the district, defeating former U.S. Agency for International Development official David Harden.

At an election night gathering at the Ten Eyck Brewing Company in Queenstown on the Eastern Shore, Mizeur gathered with supporters to celebrate her victory.

“You have chosen me to be your nominee to bring dignity and leadership back to the 1st District,” Mizeur said. “You said that you trust me to represent you to be your voice and your vote in Congress and this is an immense honor, and I can’t tell you how much it means to me.”

Cheers erupted among her supporters as Mizeur went on to describe a campaign atmosphere heavily aligned with the attitudes espoused by those gathered.

“There’s an old saying among activists when things are tough: ‘Don’t mourn. Organize,’” Mizeur told her supporters while standing next to her wife. “And that’s what we’re doing here — all of us — with a spirit of energy, optimism and even joy. We’re organizing a movement for change — a movement that says the way things are isn’t good enough, one that insists that we can do better — better than a congressman who disgraces himself at every turn, who doesn’t show up for his district, who puts loyalty to a political cult ahead of loyalty to his own country.”

After succeeding in her bid for the Democratic nomination, Mizeur now faces incumbent Republican Congressman Andy Harris in a reliably Republican district. Mizeur would be the first openly lesbian member of Congress from Maryland if she were to win.

Mizeur has criticized Harris over revelations of his involvement in the events of Jan. 6.

“And now, now that we know, thanks to the Jan. 6 Committee, just how deeply Andy Harris was involved in the plot against our democracy,” Mizeur reiterated on Tuesday night. “He is a traitor. He violated his oath of office, his oath to defend the Constitution of this country. I believe he is unfit to serve.”

Despite the potential challenges posed to her campaign by the district’s political demographics, Mizeur told the Washington Blade that, going forward, the campaign will maintain a similar election strategy aimed at converging support from voters across the ideological spectrum.

“We have been in all 11 counties of this district, working the vote, running a unity coalition campaign to get Republicans and Democrats and Independents to join together to get rid of a congressman who has failed us,” Mizeur said. “And that work just continues.”

Encouraged by her primary victory, Mizeur expressed confidence that she would be able to succeed over Harris, who has represented the district since 2011.

“We’ve got this,” Mizeur said. “Mark my words, friends: I am the woman who’s going to defeat Andy Harris in November.”