New Zogby polling numbers on Maryland Governor race are consistent with Zogby's previous results, and correct Rasmussen's last two press releases on the race. Zogby has Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley almost 13 points ahead of Ehrlich, and Montgomery County Executive Doug Duncan almost 7 points ahead of Ehrlich ...
A one-paragraph story in the Baltimore Sun reports that a recent Zogby poll shows that both Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley and Montgomery County Executive Doug Duncan have leads over Republican Governor Robert Ehrlich right now.
The story calls Mayor Martin O'Malley the front-runner, with 52.6% of the vote, almost a 13% lead over Ehrlich. The other Democrat, Montgomery County Executive Doug Duncan, leads Ehrlich 48.9% to 42.3%.
The poll was apparently done by Zogby for the Wall Street Journal.
On the money front, campaign finance reports were filed on January 18. Ehrlich has the most money in the bank, $8.434 million. O'Malley has $4.204 million in the bank and Duncan has $1.359 million. This will be an expensive campaign and Democrats are expecting Ehrlich to spend about $20 million in efforts to keep the job that lets him golf whenever and wherever he wants to.
During 2005 O'Malley raised $4.305 million, almost as much as Ehrlich's $4.917 million. Duncan raised $1.293 million in 2005, $96 thousand less than he spent during the same period.
Here are the numbers they reported to the Maryland State Board of Elections:
O'Malley
$1,041,329.99 balance on 1/12/2005
$4,304,465.69 contributions during 2005
$1,141,793.08 expenditures during 2005
$4,204,002.60 cash on hand 1/11/2006
Duncan
$1,455,262.92 balance on 1/12/2005
$1,292,802.36 contributions during 2005
$1,389,120.16 expenditures during 2005
$1,358,945.12 cash on hand 1/11/2006
Ehrlich
$4,511,615.63 balance on 1/12/2005
$4,917,346.82 contributions during 2005
$995,015.07 expenditures during 2005
$8,433,947.38 cash on hand 1/11/2006
There is still a long way to go, and the campaign will probably get nasty very soon. The legislature just came into session and overrode 6 of Gov. Ehrlich's vetos of legislation passed last year (including the Fair Share Health Care Bill, aka "Wal-Mart bill", and a $1 increase in the minimum wage). Ehrlich has proposed a budget with spending like a drunken sailor, and the Democratic legislature is going to have to trim it to stay within affordability guidelines. And political pundits are already saying the only way Duncan can make headway in the Democratic primary will be to start direct attacks on O'Malley. If he does, he will be doing the Republicans' work for them, of course -- but desperation sometimes leads people to do irresponsible things.