'Ehrlich for Governor?'
Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., for Governor? That question is posed not by Maryland's Republican former governor, but by the Democratic current governor in a dispatch e-mailed today.
Gov. Martin O'Malley's campaign is employing "The Ehrlich Factor" as a money-raising tactic, saying it's important to bulk up its coffers just in case. Ehrlich served a four-year term and lost to O'Malley in 2006. He has been publicly toying with the idea of a rematch on his radio show and elsewhere but has yet to announce an official decision.
Here are the opening lines of the O'Malley campaign e-mail:
"Robert Ehrlich claims he still doesn't know whether he'll run for governor next year.
But there's one thing he does know for sure: he's got plenty of friends ready to bankroll his campaign."
The e-mail goes on to quote from a Nov. 19 Maryland Politics blog entry by Paul West, in which Ehlrich says he could raise $10 million to $12 million, despite the poor economy.
O'Malley, like all Maryland lawmakers, can't accept campaign donations during the 90-day legislative session that begins Jan. 13, which is among the GOP's "pretty significant built-in advantages," the e-mail notes.
It's easy to wonder whether the media are the only ones pondering a rematch between Ehrlich and O'Malley. But today's e-mail shows that the governor himself is similarly intrigued.
Here's who else is in the gubernatorial race queue:
* One of Ehrlich's former cabinet members, Lawrence J. Hogan Jr.
* Baltimore County Republican Del. Patrick L. McDonough
* On the Democratic side, former delegate (who also served in Ehrlich's cabinet) George W. Owings III (He confirmed through his Facebook "fan" page that he'll be officially announcing his run at a rally Jan. 6 in Prince Frederick.)
* Libertarian candidate Susan Gaztañaga (You can read about her in this marylandreporter.com post.)
Comments
Looks like Gov.Marty is running scared as he has NOTHING to show for his last 4 years.
Voters will remember how he jammed his infamous 25% increase in Sales Tax on all of us.
And, we will all remember how he LIED to us when he promised that he would fix the higher BGE utility rates.
Shame on you Gov. Marty!!
Posted by: Robert E. Lee | December 30, 2009 6:44 PM
Do not forget David Cordish. Ehrlich was the lobby machine behind their zoning bid.
Posted by: John T. | December 31, 2009 12:09 PM
With my job I deliver products to our state prisons,and talking to guards NO ONE is voting for Martin O'MONEY since he screwed them over with his manditory furlough days!Have not talked to a happy guard since this happened.
Posted by: Steve from Rosedale | January 2, 2010 7:24 AM
Bob Ehrlich is not running for Governor. He knows two things: 1) He can't win, 2) Even if he did, he would have no plan to fix our state since he created the mess in the first place. Yes, the Ehrlich economy was based on a property tax scheme that required property values to keep skyrocketing...so much for that. Plus, it was Ehrlich who raised state spending 11% in one year while Gov. O'Malley has held the line on state spending. Ehrlich raised user fees more than O'Malley raised taxes. So if Ehrlich can't run on lower taxes, and can't run on lower spending, and can't find new revenue sources...what does he have.
Posted by: Josh | January 3, 2010 9:41 AM
OK Ehrlich was not perfect and he was dealing wioth a Democratic house and senate..he was at least honest, watched spending, was FAIR to state workers..even though he should have allowed the Unions to participate..and OK O'Malley claims to be a friend ot the union while he blatantly furloughs, pay cuts and pay freezes and Ehrlich never cut salries and was fair and upfront..so this is one MPEC member who hopes Ehrlich comes back and places Maryland back in the center and uses common sense governing..Oh yes I support Ehrlich and slots..Oh that is right this Gov. who was so agaginst same when Ehrlich wanted same...is now all for them..hmm, cmon voters..all of us see the facts as they are, a Governor who is up front for yuor interests or one who is only interested in his ...
Posted by: fred nastri | January 3, 2010 11:29 AM
I have been a democrat for 41 years. I was raised to vote this way. That is why I never voted for Ehrlich. When Ehrlich passed all those fees, I knew for sure that I wold not vote for him, but would vote Democrat. It was a bad day for Maryland when O'Malley was voted in because everything has gone through the roof. You can be sure I will not vote for O'Malley agrain. The electric has gone up approximaetly 85 percent and the e-z pass has gone up 40 per cent, not the $1.50 per month the sunpaper reported as well as WJZ TV.
Posted by: A Wojciechowski | January 3, 2010 12:45 PM
Go Bob!
Posted by: John_11 | January 3, 2010 1:38 PM
O'Malley has not been great, especially for State Employees. But let us not forget how horrible Ehrlich was for the state. We can't make that mistake twice!
Posted by: Dan | January 5, 2010 9:27 AM
Yes, Go bob... Go away!
Posted by: Sean | January 5, 2010 9:47 AM
Hopefully Governor Ehrlich will run again. He was and is a very honest politician. The politicians today are not sure what honest means. Governor O'Malley has not a clue how to run a state. All he wants to do is take our money!!!!!!!
Posted by: Terry Patterson | January 5, 2010 12:29 PM
No fan of Ehrlichs but O'Malley first term will most likely go down as the worst gov. of Maryland.
Posted by: Anonymous | January 5, 2010 1:52 PM
Hey Josh,
You may want to check for your facts on Gov O' Malley holding the line on state spending.
Yes general fund spending is down. The reason being is that tax revenue is down. So you have to cut spending when the revenue is not there.
Since the increase of sales tax has not produced the general fund revenue, Gov O'Malley has to slash the spending.
Our current problem dated back to the Glennending time in office.
Under Gov Parris the General Assembly passed Thornton. However Thorton is not tied to any funding source.
When Parris was County Executive to I think it was PG county, he ran that county in to the ground with his spending habits.
Even after getting elected Gov he want his County Executive pension while he was serving as Governor.
Posted by: Les | January 6, 2010 11:44 AM
Ehrlich raised taxes by billions and state spending by more than Glendening's first or second term. No wonder his minions think he is "honest" - they refuse to see the facts and can't tell when he's lying to them. For these delusional "believers" all a Republican has to do these days is mouth some catch phrases, mangle his/her record into acceptable but misleading statements, deny what you really did and deflect any discussion of it.
Correctional officers hated Eehrlich. The ones I know said repeadedly that he put their lives at risk and didn't care.
Posted by: Simone | January 7, 2010 6:49 PM
Simone,
Where are you getting your information that Ehrlich spent more than both years of Glendening two terms in office?
Well what have O'Malley done but blame Ehrlich went then only to blame Bush after Ehrlich blame game was getting old for people in the state.
Posted by: Les | January 11, 2010 4:56 PM