Governor candidates visit each other's home counties
Gov. Martin O'Malley, who grew up in Montgomery County, will spend his day in the home county of former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. -- who is storming Montgomery today.
The same-day territory swap is likely a coincidence, but it also may lend insight into the gubernatorial candidates' perception of where they need to focus their resources. O'Malley, a Democrat, and Ehrlich, a Republican, each have primary challengers but have commanding name-recognition across the state and appear headed toward a November rematch.
Democrats outnumber Republicans more than two-to-one in Maryland, and there are few Republican treasure troves. Together, Montgomery and Baltimore County, although both majority-Democrat, account for nearly one-third of the state's 902,436 registered Republicans. Political strategists say Ehrlich must win Baltimore County and minimize damage in Montgomery County if he has any chance of recapturing the governor's office.
Conversely, O'Malley will likely try to make inroads in Ehrlich's native Baltimore County, which the Republican also represented in Congress for eight years. A recent Washington Post poll showed O'Malley leading Ehrlich by 8 percentage points, but they are tied when it comes to people who say they are certain to vote. What that may show is that Maryland Republicans are more energized than Democrats -- a scenario that seems to be playing out across the country.
The Democratic governor declared East Baltimore County "capital for a day," an ongoing administration program, meaning he is not officially campaigning there today. But O'Malley's time in Baltimore County includes a morning "Jobs Across Maryland Tour" at Middle River Aircraft Systems. While he has conducted that tour as governor, it carries his campaign theme of "moving forward" and jobs creation.
Next, O'Malley will head to Gunpowder Park in Middle River for an announcement about the Chesapeake Day, and then he'll hold a cabinet meeting in the Oak Crest community of Parkville.
Meanwhile, Ehrlich is making several stops in Montgomery County, where O'Malley grew up and still has relatives. The Republican former governor will attend a woman-owned small business roundtable in Bethesda before heading to Rockville. There, he'll take a lunchtime stroll around the town center and sit it on another small business roundtable, this one at Gordon Biersch restaurant.
Comments
Its hard to call Baltimore County Bob Ehrlich's "home." He owned a basement-level condo in Mays Chapel, which he promptly sold upon his election as Gov. Ehrlich never even owned a house until he left office. Since 2002, Ehrlich has called Annapolis home. He has long abandoned his Arbutus roots and East Co. meant nothing more to him than just some extra votes.
(From Julie; Similarly, O'Malley hasn't lived in Montgomery County in years. Both grew up in the counties to which I am referring.)
Posted by: Josh | May 18, 2010 9:12 AM
Since Bob Ehrlich is not a candidate yet do not report on him..
(From Julie: Commenter is referring to this posting: http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/2010/05/ehrlich_no_candidate_yet_lawye.html)
Posted by: John | May 18, 2010 9:35 AM
I am yet to meet o'Mally. i find he is an unreachable/unapproachable. Ehrlich is more human and down to earth.
O'Malley has put state employees on furlough 3 times, including Doctors and expects the same level of service, researchers in Univ of maryland who expose themselves to dangerous pathogens, radiation, cancer cells etc just to find cures for diseases - yet his administrators are earning 6 figure amounts - shows the kind of man he truly is
Posted by: Kathy | May 18, 2010 10:19 AM
I find it disrespectful that O'Malley would use one of the latest sites of LAYOFFS to start a re-election campaign under the guise of a jobs across Maryland tour. Who does he think he is fooling?
http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2010-04-20/business/bs-bz-lockheed-martin-layoffs-20100420_1_lockheed-martin-middle-river-defense-contractor
Posted by: Steve | May 18, 2010 12:40 PM
It took until this last General Assmebly session for Marty to break every single one of his campaign promises. But he broke em all. Bobby at least kept 1/3 and he would have kept a few more if it weren't for the idiots in the general assembly.
Posted by: GHCinNottingham | May 18, 2010 12:47 PM
Why do we not get all the information about all the canidates who are running. I know there are more then 2 people running for govenor. do soem good reporting adn give them all equal time
Posted by: possum joe | May 18, 2010 12:52 PM
Conservative Democrat George Owings, former state delegate and proponent of smaller government is trying to takeout O'Malley in the Democratic primary Sept 14th.
Posted by: The Anti-Incumbent | May 18, 2010 7:04 PM
The Gov and the group looks really attentive in the Pic, he's even relaxing against the rail. Ha
I have been asking for months why, on the Maryland border on I-68, Martin welcomes people to Maryland but the "Welcome Center" has been closed for the season since last fall and was not open even on the first week of May. And there is no "Open" rest stop on the MD interstates from WV to Baltimore; or the other way.
The last time we went east on I-68 there was no rest stops open "until spring", and there were no stops open including the fabulous "Cut in the Hill". As of early May, no rest stops were open. I think May qualifies as spring.
We have experienced that when going west at the WV "Welcome Center" on I-68 about how glad we were that they were open since there were none in Maryland and the employees at the WV center reported that many travelers from the east had mentioned the lack of Maryland’s facilities.
What an inviting message for people entering the state, whether for business or personal reasons. We are open, but we are closed .
Posted by: Lec | May 18, 2010 7:24 PM
Look at the photo on the front page of the web with this article. It seems Jim Smith can't believe that is Joe Bartenfelter's happy face either. Can't the guy look serious without looking like ......, like that! Does he really think these photo ops are gonna win the county for him? Has he ever looked at some of these photos and thought "well maybe I ought not to look like somebody who wants to slug someone if I really want their vote"
Posted by: Baltomoreon | May 18, 2010 8:03 PM