Franchot files for re-election, not taking anything for granted
Comptroller Peter Franchot may sometimes play the lone wolf in the Democratic Party, but so far he hasn’t drawn any challengers from his party or the Republican camp for next year’s election. And when he filed his paperwork Friday morning with the State Board of Elections to run for a second term, he didn’t feel the need to hold a press conference or rally to announce his campaign.
But Franchot isn’t counting on sailing to re-election. After all, he filed the requisite paperwork 10 months before the deadline, and he’s already set an uber-early fundraising goal to garner $15,000 in online contributions by the end of this month — a show of political strength. He also felt compelled to call Gov. Martin O’Malley, with whom he has sometimes clashed, on Thursday night to tell him that he would be running again. Campaign spokesman Andrew Friedson said the comptroller “is really excited to have the governor’s support and looks forward to having a unified statewide Democratic team.”
Friedson added: “We’re not focused on who else is running or who else might be running.”
“At this point, none of us really knows what the political landscape is going to look like next year, but the comptroller has been around long enough to know you shouldn’t take anything for granted,” Friedson said. “In the end, we’re expecting a tough, competitive race, and we’re planning on having the resources to launch an effective, statewide campaign to convey his vision and his accomplishments to voters.”
Franchot did make a low-key show of his re-election filing with a YouTube video message to supporters. As the state’s chief tax collector, he paints himself as a fiscal watchdog who has cracked down on delinquent taxpayers and reunited Marylanders with unclaimed property.
“I love being comptroller. It’s been an honor to represent you,” Franchot says to what appears to be a hand-held video camera, standing outside the Treasury Building in Annapolis. “I just filed for re-election today. I’d like to get your support. When I ran I promised I’d to take this agency to the next level. I think I’ve done that.”
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Posted by: Romase | October 3, 2009 10:02 PM