Invitation names Ulman as gubernatorial hopeful
An email invitation to a Columbia fundraiser tonight for Ken Ulman says the Howard County Executive wants to be governor.
The email, sent out by Evergreen Advisors LLC, says, “Ken has been committed to Howard County for two terms and now desires to attain the Governor's seat for Maryland, so that all citizens will benefit from his administration's initiatives.”
But while many have speculated Ulman will run, he said Wednesday night not to read too much into it. He's not planning to make any formal announcement.
“We haven’t made any final decisions," he said. "Three years is a long time.”
In response to the email, Ulman said, “My part is the event. They forwarded the event with their own message.”
“A lot of folks know there is going to be a lot of change in the state in three years,” he said. “We’ll take it one step at a time. We’re still evaluating where we go.”
As the president of the Maryland Association of Counties, Ulman said he’s often asked if he will run for governor, adding, “It’s really flattering.”
When people ask, he said he tells them, “My wife says I need to find a job in three years. I’m term limited. And I love the state of Maryland.”
Though Ulman has managed to raise a sizable amount of cash — nearly $440,000, according to his most recent campaign finance report in January — some fellow potential Democratic contenders had raised more by that date. State Comptroller Peter Franchot reported more than $515,000 and Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler reported about $2.9 million. Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown had just under $130,000.
Republican Harford County Executive David R. Craig had close to $65,000 on hand in January. Upper Shore Republican Sen E.J. Pipkin had nearly $24,000, Harford County Sen. Nancy Jacobs had about $4,600, and Anne Arundel County Executive John R. Leopold had close to $424,000.
Comments
This is awful news-thanks for ruining my day. Ulman is only interested in promoting his own self importance,not serving the public
Posted by: George | November 10, 2011 11:28 AM
Pray tell, what inititives in HoCo will Kenny Boy bring to the State as a whole? How to subsidize and educate(poorly) illegal immigrants with few skills and many health issues? How to turn a quiet culturally interesting community(Columbia) into a bad imitiation of Rockville Pike with masses of urban immigrants who don't give a whit for the consrvation ethic Columiba was founded upon? Antagonism towards agriculture and open space(being anti global warming is not the same as tangible conservation efforts, and in Ulman's case the opposite). And raising taxes because, well, Kenny Boy's friends and families are rich developers(like Evergreen, the sponsor of this Shakedown), his Daddy's corporate firm, and the HoCo medical community composed of people raking in tens of milllions from working peopel with inadequate insurance. And Kenny Boy's Health Howard? A program that openly recruits gays and illegals and offers nothing to the middle class, nor to the poor who qualify for meidcaid and thus don't need it. What does Kenny have to offer? Just his appetite for more money and Power.
Posted by: didactic1 | November 10, 2011 3:25 PM
Is there some way he could run for governor of Virgina or Delaware or Pennsylvania?
Posted by: Mr. Drew | November 11, 2011 7:55 AM
This is great news! Ken Ulman has led Howard County admirably over the last five years and will do great things for the state. I hope he runs for governor -- he's much better than the other potential candidates.
As for the folks above, well, their comments speak for themselves.
Posted by: ROBIN22 | November 11, 2011 11:40 AM
Wow... so many words, so little information. During the worst economy in generations, Ken Ulman didn't raise taxes, didn't layoff employees and he didn't slash services. He's been a more than effective leader, as demonstrated by the fact that he was re-elected with over 60% of the votes. Thank goodness Howard County voters exhibit more sense than the folks commenting here. We can only hope Maryland's voters have the same good sense as the majority of Howard County's voters. Ken Ulman is right for our county and right for Maryland.
Posted by: Winnie | November 11, 2011 11:53 AM
The vitriol of the comments above neither promotes a productive dialogue nor reflects the opinion of most of Ken Ulman's constituents.
Ken is a a good man and skilled executive who truly understands the policies he enacts and their underlying issues. His principled pragmatism is a refreshing change of pace from the ideological gridlock that surrounds us.
I would gladly cast my vote to send Ken Ulman to Annapolis.
Posted by: Brian from Howard County | November 11, 2011 12:04 PM
Let me be specific about why Ken Ulman has been a very poor county executive.
1. He has increased the housing density in the eastern county and let the developers run out of control, without building any public services to go with the flood of new housing. Especially schools. As a result, the schools are overcrowded, and will continue to be overcrowded for the forseeable future. What schools have been proposed are substandard (below the county policy for site acreage) and are in marginal locations (next to industrial areas).
2. Ken Ulman has pursued an Intermodal Rall facility for Howard County, with both county sites located next to residential neighborhoods. The risk that this facility might be located next to these neighborhoods is already causing a reduction in property values.
As a homeowner in Elkridge, Ken Ulman's actions as county executive are consistently opposite the best interests of myself and my neighbors. The development community will support him strongly, but the typical Maryland resident should think hard about his track record is before making him governor.
Posted by: Mr. Drew | November 13, 2011 9:50 AM
Mr. Drew, those are outright lies and distortions. He is not responsible for the shift of population growth from the western county to eastern Howard County. That's a result of the economic recession. In fact, Ulman has done an outstanding job of protecting public services and resources during hard economic times without increasing the burden on citizens.
Ulman is also very much opposed to the Intermodal and has vowed that it will not be built in Elkrdige.
As a homeowner Elkridge, I feel fortunate that he has been the county executive for the last 5 years. If he does decide to run for governor I would definitely support his campaign both with my vote and my money.
Howard County is consistently rated one of the best places to live in the U.S., and Ulman deserves much credit helping to keep it that way.
Posted by: Frank | November 14, 2011 1:51 PM
Most of the increase in population in the Eastern county took place before Ulman took office. He was not responsible for the economic recession which unexpectedly shifted population growrth from Western Howard County to the Eastern Howard County. The Route 1 redevelopment plan which initiated much of the development in the eastern county was created well before Ulman ran for election. The school district built the under-capacity schools in the west before Ulman ran for county executive. He has also vowed stop the Intermodal from being built in Elkridge.
As a homeowner in Elkridge, I feel very fortunate to have had Ulman as county executive for the past 5 years. Despite hard economic times and decreased tax revenue, Howard County has consistently been rated, year after year, as one of the best places to live in the whole country. Recently he has been fighting for funding for two badly needed new schools in Elkridge.
If he wins the nomination to run for governor, you can't say he doesn't deserve it based on his record.
Posted by: Frank from Howard County | November 15, 2011 12:26 PM