Poll Shows Ehrlich Lagging As He Opens Reelection Run

[Judi Lynn]

Poll Shows Ehrlich Lagging As He Opens Reelection Run

By Robert Barnes and Claudia Deane
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, June 28, 2006; Page A01

Maryland Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. starts his reelection campaign today significantly trailing Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley, according to a new Washington Post poll. Though the state's voters give the governor good marks for the job he's done, they also appear inclined to return a Democrat to the governor's mansion.

Ehrlich kicks off his campaign today at his boyhood home in the Baltimore suburb of Arbutus, attempting to become the state's first Republican governor in 50 years to serve a second term. But the poll shows why he is preparing to spend a record amount and why he is considered one of the nation's most endangered Republican governors.

Ehrlich is running in an overwhelmingly Democratic state at a time when voters are not happy with the GOP. Maryland voters are more critical than voters nationally of the Bush administration and more strongly opposed to the war in Iraq. And, unlike earlier in Ehrlich's term, more Marylanders than not believe the state is heading in the wrong direction, the poll shows.

Public education is the top priority of voters statewide, and that is the area where they give Ehrlich his lowest marks. Among the state's largest jurisdictions, controlling crime ranks a strong second in Prince George's and Baltimore counties; growth and transportation are emerging priorities in Montgomery.
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/27/AR2006062701833.html?nav=rss_metro

[smtpgirl]

1. Thank God MD fake hair will have some competition

from Baltimore, look for an O'Malley rout

[qanda]

2. The people around the Baltimore area are pissed

About the 70% increase in our gas and electric bills. Ehrlich is nothing but Bush in sheep's clothing.

[eridani]

3. He has a redeeming feature though--

--he likes voter verified paper ballots.

[FreeStateDemocrat]

4. That's because the Dem's control the state election board and

he's worried because he knows it's possible to fix it but he isn't in a position to control the outcome. He vetoed the extended voting hours bill but was overridden and is now supporting a petition drive to delay it's implementation, to suppress voter turnout. He has hired the bastard campaign manager that smeared Max Cleland in Georgia to run his campaign. This will be one of the dirtiest campaigns in Maryland's political history. This sneaky neo-con SOB with 20 million in financing can and will do anything to stay in power. This race is a long ways from being decided.

[eridani]

5. Oh.

One of those asshole vote suppressers. A few of the Repubs in WA state that actually get the importance of tabulation transparency are still assholes on vote suppression, so this shouldn't have surprised me.

[GalleryGod]

6. My Old Congressman: "Gun Lobby Bobby"

:puke: :argh: :puke: