Candidate Watch: Primary challenger '4' O'Malley?
Looks like George W. Owings III, a former state delegate and Calvert County Democrat, is little more than a week away from announcing his run for governor.
Owings, 64, has been contemplating a primary challenge of Gov. Martin O'Malley since at least May, when he told The Baltimore Sun that he sees "a lot of good, solid, working-class Democrats with serious concerns about the direction we are taking."
The former majority whip, who served as secretary of veterans affairs under Republican Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., has been a sharp critic of O'Malley's fiscal policies.
He disagreed with O'Malley's decision to raise the sales tax during a 2007 special session and took issue with the governor's personal lobbying to repeal the death penalty this year.
In a conversation this morning with The Sun, Owings, who resides in Dunkirk, said he'll "make it official" on Jan. 6, at a morning news conference on the courthouse steps in Prince Frederick. That announcement date was first reported by The Gazette's Alan Brody.
How certain can we be that Owings is going to say he's running for governor? Just check out his e-mail name: "owings4governor."
Comments
If this guy runs he has many many campaign issues to use against the boy gov.
Posted by: Voters Ignorance | December 28, 2009 3:57 PM
Who?
Will do what?
Posted by: MrRational | December 28, 2009 8:32 PM
Owings - a member of Ehrlich's cabinet claims to be the voice of "working class Democrats." Don't take this guy seriously -he is obviously fronting for Ehrlich in an effort to weaken O'Malley. It won't work.
Posted by: Howie | December 29, 2009 9:07 AM
Owings' primary challenge increases the risk of handing redistricting power to a Republican governor.
Posted by: baltmoron | December 29, 2009 9:42 AM
I can think of a good reason not to vote for O'Malley. However, I cannot imagine any Democrat who cares about progressive issues voting for such a right-wing extremist as George Owings. That extremism is well-documented in his lengthy voting record as a delegate from Calvert County and Democratic researchers should have a ball revealing him for what he is. I'm a little surprised that he is still registered as a Democrat.
Posted by: Ken Stevens | December 30, 2009 8:16 AM