Paul organizer to take on Ruppersberger

A two-term incumbent, Ruppersberger, 61, said he looks forward to getting out and discussing the issues, but will continue to focus on his job instead of the campaign.

‘‘It has always been my philosophy that if you do the job you’re supposed to do, you’ll be judged on that and not on the political rhetoric that frequently revolves around the campaign season,” he said.

Matthews said he ‘‘reluctantly” entered the race after no other Republicans stepped forward.

‘‘My congressional run has been kind of a sidebar for me to running [Paul’s] campaign” in Anne Arundel County, said Matthews, 27. ‘‘After the primary, I expect I’ll have a lot more time, and the networking I have done [for Paul] will help support my run when it comes to the general election.”

Matthews said he wasn’t happy Ruppersberger supported an extension of the Patriot Act, the anti-terrorism bill pushed through Congress following the 2001 terrorist attacks. The Patriot Act has been targeted primarily by Democrats, but also by Libertarian-minded politicians like Paul for restricting civil liberties.

A former prosecutor, Ruppersberger said he voted for the bill because he ‘‘felt it was important to give the men and women in law enforcement the resources they need to do their job.”

Matthews will face an uphill battle in knocking off a two-term incumbent who has solidified his standing in a moderate district that includes Aberdeen Proving Ground, Fort Meade and parts of Baltimore city and Harford, Anne Arundel and Baltimore counties.

‘‘There are plenty of people who are ex-military who have settled down in this general area, and as a result, they tend to be hawkish and not particularly progressive on social issues,” said Dan Nataf, a political scientist who heads the Center for the Study of Local Issues at Anne Arundel Community College. ‘‘That’s a dance [Ruppersberger] has had to play to keep everyone happy.”