Former 1st District Congressman Kratovil Appointed Judge

UPDATE (7:38 p.m.)—, former congressman of Maryland's 1st District, was appointed to the District Court for Queen Anne’s County on Wednesday, 's office announced Wednesday evening.

Kratovil, a resident of Stevensville on the Eastern Shore, served as a Democratic congressman between 2009 and 2010, defeating then-State Sen. . Republican Harris defeated Kratovil in the .

Kratovil had been considered a viable opponent to Harris in the 2012 election, before he announced in November that he would not be seeking reelection, Gazette.Net reported.

Takirra Winfield, a spokeswoman for the governor's office, said running for the congressional seat would no longer be an option while serving as a judge.

"It would be a complete conflict," Winfield said.

Kratovil, who had most recently been working in the State's Attorney Office of Prince George's County, actively pursued and applied for the judgeship, according to Winfield.

The governor's office's press release outlined Kratovil's legal credentials, including his work as state’s attorney in Queen Anne’s County from 2002 to 2009 and criminal justice adviser in the governor’s Office of Crime Control & Prevention. He graduated from the University of Baltimore School of Law in 1994.

“I am honored to appoint Frank Kratovil to the Queen Anne’s County District Court,” O’Malley stated in a press release. “His strong work ethic, dedication to justice, and years of experience will make him an excellent judge.”

In November, a Cockeysville woman, 57-year-old Democrat , announced she planned to run against Harris in the upcoming election.

In June, that Harris had raised more than $276,000 for his 2012 reelection campaign.