Maryland gubernatorial election, 2006

Last updated
Maryland gubernatorial election, 2006
Flag of Maryland.svg
  2002 November 7, 2006 2010  

  Martin O'Malley, photo portrait, visiting Maryland National Guard, June 8, 2008.jpg Robert ehrlich speaking at healthierUS summit cropped.jpg
Nominee Martin O'Malley Bob Ehrlich
Party Democratic Republican
Running mate Anthony G. Brown Kristen Cox
Popular vote942,279825,464
Percentage52.7%46.2%

Maryland Governor Election Results by County, 2006.svg
Election results by county
O'Malley:      40-50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%
Ehrlich:      50–60%     60–70%

Governor before election

Robert Ehrlich
Republican

Elected Governor

Martin O'Malley
Democratic

The Maryland gubernatorial election of 2006 was held on November 7, 2006. It was a race for the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Maryland. The winning candidates -- Martin O'Malley and Anthony G. Brown, who defeated the incumbent Gov. Robert Ehrlich and running mate Kristen Cox—were elected to serve from 2007 to 2011.

Governor of Maryland head of state and of the executive branch of government of the State of Maryland, United States

The governor of the State of Maryland heads the executive branch of the government of the State of Maryland, and is the commander-in-chief of the state's National Guard units. The governor is the highest-ranking official in the state and has a broad range of appointive powers in both the state and local governments, as specified by the Maryland Constitution. Because of the extent of these constitutional powers, the governor of Maryland has been ranked as being among the most powerful governors in the United States.

Lieutenant Governor of Maryland position

The Lieutenant Governor of Maryland is the second highest-ranking official in the executive branch of the state government of Maryland in the United States. He or she is elected on the same ticket as the Governor of Maryland and must meet the same qualifications.

Maryland State of the United States of America

Maryland is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east. The state's largest city is Baltimore, and its capital is Annapolis. Among its occasional nicknames are Old Line State, the Free State, and the Chesapeake Bay State. It is named after the English queen Henrietta Maria, known in England as Queen Mary.

Contents

Democratic primary

Candidates

Campaign

Martin O'Malley, the Mayor of Baltimore, and Doug Duncan, the Montgomery County Executive, emerged as the two Democratic candidates for governor in late 2005. Early polling indicated that O'Malley would have the upper edge in both the Democratic primary and the general election, with a solid lead over Duncan in the primary and a several point lead over Ehrlich in the general. [1]

Martin OMalley American politician

Martin Joseph O'Malley is an American politician and attorney who served as the 61st Governor of Maryland from 2007 to 2015. He previously served as Mayor of Baltimore from 1999 to 2007, and was a councilman from the Third Council District in the northeast section of the city on the Baltimore City Council from 1991 to 1999.

Baltimore Largest city in Maryland

Baltimore is the largest city in the state of Maryland within the United States. Baltimore was established by the Constitution of Maryland as an independent city in 1729. With a population of 611,648 in 2017, Baltimore is the largest such independent city in the United States. As of 2017, the population of the Baltimore metropolitan area was estimated to be just under 2.808 million, making it the 20th largest metropolitan area in the country. Baltimore is located about 40 miles (60 km) northeast of Washington, D.C., making it a principal city in the Washington-Baltimore combined statistical area (CSA), the fourth-largest CSA in the nation, with a calculated 2017 population of 9,764,315.

Doug Duncan American politician

Douglas M. Duncan is a former American politician from Maryland who served as Rockville City Councilman, Rockville Mayor, Montgomery County Executive, and candidate for Maryland Governor. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Duncan currently serves as President and CEO of Leadership Greater Washington, a position he has held since 2014.

As the gubernatorial campaign intensified, Doug Duncan dropped out of the race, citing the fact that he had been diagnosed with clinical depression. In the same announcement, Duncan threw his support behind O’Malley and declined to seek another office in the fall. [2] O'Malley then became the presumed Democratic nominee for governor, as no other candidate opposed him in the primary election.

Mayor O'Malley selected Anthony G. Brown, a black State Delegate from Prince George's County and a veteran of the Iraq War, as his running mate.

Anthony G. Brown American lawyer, politician, and soldier

Anthony Gregory Brown is an American lawyer and politician, who is serving as the U.S. Representative for Maryland's 4th congressional district. He previously served two terms as the eighth Lieutenant Governor of Maryland, from 2007 to 2015. He was elected as lieutenant governor in 2006 on the Democratic ticket with Governor Martin O'Malley, and both were re-elected in 2010. In 2014 Brown ran unsuccessfully for governor, losing to Republican Larry Hogan.

Maryland House of Delegates lower house of the Maryland General Assembly

The Maryland House of Delegates is the lower house of the legislature of the State of Maryland. It consists of 141 delegates elected from 47 districts. The House of Delegates Chamber is in the Maryland State House on State Circle in Annapolis, the state capital. The State House also houses the Maryland State Senate Chamber and the offices of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of the State of Maryland. Each delegate has offices in Annapolis, in the nearby Casper R. Taylor Jr. House Office Building.

Prince Georges County, Maryland County in the United States

Prince George's County is a county in the U.S. state of Maryland, bordering the eastern portion of Washington, D.C. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the population was 863,420, making it the second-most populous county in Maryland, behind only Montgomery County. Its county seat is Upper Marlboro. It is one of the richest African American-majority counties in the United States, with five of its communities identified in a 2015 top ten list.

Results

Democratic primary results [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Martin O'Malley524,671100.00
Total votes524,671100.00

Republican primary

Candidates

Campaign

Governor Ehrlich opted to seek a second term as governor, and did not face any opposition at any point in the Republican primary. When Lieutenant Governor Michael Steele opted to run for Senate instead of seeking a second term on Ehrlich's gubernatorial ticket, Ehrlich named Maryland Secretary of Disabilities Kristen Cox, who is blind, as his running mate [4] and was renominated by his party for a second term.

Michael Steele American politician

Michael Stephen Steele is an American conservative political commentator and former Republican Party politician. Steele served as the seventh lieutenant governor of Maryland from 2003 to 2007; he was the first African-American elected to statewide office in Maryland. As lieutenant governor, Steele chaired the Minority Business Enterprise task force, actively promoting an expansion of affirmative action in the corporate world. Steele also served as chairperson of the Republican National Committee (RNC) from January 2009 until January 2011; he was the first African-American to serve in that capacity.

Kristen Cox American politician

Kristen Cox is an American politician, speaker and author. She currently serves as the executive director of the Utah Governor's Office of Management and Budget.

Results

Republican primary results [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Bob Ehrlich (inc.)213,744100.00
Total votes213,744100.00

General election

Candidates

Campaign

Elected to his first term in 2002, incumbent Republican Governor Bob Ehrlich ran for a second term as governor, opposed by the Democratic nominee, Martin O'Malley, the Mayor of Baltimore. Both candidates emerged from uncontested primary elections and a contentious election season began.

Early in the campaign, Ehrlich boasted decent approval ratings from Maryland citizens, with a Gonzalez Research poll taken during October 2005 showing him with a 49% approval rating. [1] and a Baltimore Sun poll from November 2005 giving the Governor a 50% approval and a 33% disapproval. [5] However, the unpopularity of the national Republican Party and President George W. Bush dragged Ehrlich's re-election chances down.[ citation needed ]

Ehrlich launched attack ads that hit O'Malley on crime in Baltimore under his tenure as Mayor, calling the murder rate in Baltimore "awful" and "an embarrassment to the state of Maryland." [6] O'Malley countered with one television ad that featured testimonials from local community leaders, Howard County Executive James N. Robey, Baltimore County Executive James T. Smith, Jr. [7] and another ad that attacked Ehrlich for breaking his promise to end parole for violent criminals. [8]

The Washington Post and The Washington Times both endorsed Ehrlich in his bid for re-election, with the Times praising Ehrlich's "brand of moderate conservatism that offers a refreshing contrast" to the state's historically Democratic leanings [9] and the Post called him "a generally proficient, pragmatic governor" and praised him for "successes on transportation, the environment and education." [10]

In turn, the Baltimore Sun endorsed O'Malley, saying, "the progress under the mayor's tenure is clear and irrefutable", and that he addressed "rising crime, failing schools and shrinking economic prospects." [11] O'Malley also called upon the praise given to him by TIME Magazine when they named him one of the country's "Top 5 Big City Mayors." [12]

Polling

SourceDateO'Malley (D)Ehrlich (R)
SurveyUSA November 5, 200650%47%
Baltimore Sun/Potomac Inc. November 1, 200647%46%
Wall Street Journal/Zogby October 31, 200649.3%43.9%
Public Opinion Strategies [ permanent dead link ]October 31, 200646%45%
Rasmussen October 30, 200650%47%
Washington Post October 29, 200655%45%
Rasmussen October 17, 200653%45%
USA TODAY/Gallup October 6, 200653%41%
Baltimore Sun/Potomac Inc. September 24, 200650%44%
Survey USA September 20, 200651%44%
Rasmussen September 20, 200649%42%
Wall Street Journal/Zogby September 11, 200652.5%39.6%
Wall Street Journal/Zogby August 28, 200652.0%42.2%
Rasmussen August 18, 200650%43%
August 14, 200641%41%
Wall Street Journal/Zogby July 24, 200651.3%42.2%
Rasmussen July 17, 200649%42%
Baltimore Sun/Potomac Inc. July 16, 200646%38%
The Washington Post June 25, 200651%40%
Wall Street Journal/Zogby June 21, 200653.1%39.2%
Opinion Works April 27, 200646%37%
Rasmussen April 21, 200651%42%
Gonzales Research April 18, 200646%41%
Rasmussen January 13, 200642%47%
Wall Street Journal/Zogby January 13, 200653%40%
Rasmussen November 22, 200546%40%
Baltimore Sun November 6, 200548%33%
Baltimore Sun [ permanent dead link ]October 25, 200548%42%
Rasmussen July 18, 200541%46%
Baltimore Sun April 17, 200545%39%
Baltimore Sun January 200540%40%

Results

Maryland gubernatorial election, 2006 [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Democratic Martin O'Malley 942,279 52.69% +5.02%
Republican Robert Ehrlich (inc.)825,46446.16%-5.39%
Green Ed Boyd15,5510.87%
Populist Christopher Driscoll3,4810.19%
Write-ins1,5410.09%
Majority116,8156.53%+2.65%
Turnout 1,788,316
Democratic gain from Republican Swing

Related Research Articles

Bob Ehrlich American politician

Robert Leroy Ehrlich Jr. is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 60th Governor of Maryland from 2003 to 2007. A Republican, he was first elected after defeating Democratic opponent Kathleen Kennedy Townsend in the 2002 election. Prior to serving as governor, Ehrlich represented Maryland's 2nd Congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. Before that he served in the Maryland House of Delegates.

1978 United States Senate elections midterm elections

The 1978 United States Senate elections in the middle of Democratic President Jimmy Carter's term. Thirteen seats changed hands between parties. The Democrats at first lost a net of two seats to the Republicans, and then one more in a special election. Democrats nevertheless retained a 58-41 majority.

Janet S. Owens is an American politician and Democrat who served as County Executive of Anne Arundel County, Maryland, for two terms, from 1998 until 2007. She is a resident of Millersville, Maryland. She was the first female county executive of Anne Arundel County. As County Executive, she was seen as a moderate, frequently implementing more conservative policies than the County Council, which is now led by Republicans. After conducting polling regarding her chances of being re-elected to her former position of County Executive, Owens decided against running for the Democratic nomination in June 2010.

2006 United States gubernatorial elections

United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 7, 2006 in 36 states and two territories.

2006 Oregon gubernatorial election

The 2006 Oregon gubernatorial election took place on November 7, 2006. Incumbent Democratic Governor of Oregon Ted Kulongoski ran for a second and final term as governor. Kulongoski faced several challengers in his primary, whom he dispatched to win his party's nomination a second time, while Republican nominee Ron Saxton, the former Chair of the Portland Public Schools Board and a candidate for governor in 2002 emerged from a crowded primary. Kulongoski and Saxton were initially going to be challenged in the general election by State Senator Ben Westlund, but Westlund withdrew his candidacy before the general election. There were, however, a number of strong independent challengers, the most notable of whom was Mary Starrett, the Constitution Party nominee. In a hard-fought campaign, Kulongoski won re-election by a surprisingly wide margin, winning his second term as governor.

2006 Maryland Comptroller election

The 2006 Maryland Comptroller election was held on November 7, 2006. Incumbent Democratic State Comptroller William Donald Schaefer ran for a third term, but was defeated in the Democratic primary by Peter Franchot, a State Delegate from Montgomery County. On the Republican side, Anne McCarthy, the former dean of the University of Baltimore business school, won a crowded primary and faced off against Franchot. In the general election, Franchot defeated McCarthy and became the next Comptroller of Maryland.

2006 Maryland Attorney General election

The 2006 Maryland Attorney General election was held on November 7, 2006. Incumbent Democratic Attorney General of Maryland J. Joseph Curran Jr. declined to seek a sixth term in office, prompted by the fact that his son-in-law, Martin O'Malley was running for Governor and wanted to avoid a conflict of interest. Montgomery County State's Attorney Doug Gansler won the Democratic primary to succeed Curran and faced off against Scott Rolle, the Frederick County State's Attorney who was unopposed in the Republican primary. Ultimately, Gansler defeated Rolle in a landslide and became the Attorney General of Maryland.

Carmen Amedori is an American journalist and politician. She was elected in 1998 to the Maryland House of Delegates for District 5A, from Carroll County. After being re-elected in 2002 she served in the Maryland General Assembly until 2004, when she was appointed by Governor Bob Ehrlich to the state Parole Commission where she served until 2009. Carmen is a background actor and has had a featured extra role on House of Cards and also has played the lead in productions with Siren's Media. She is a writer and a licensed Realtor.

Charles Boutin was a member of the Maryland House of Delegates representing District 34A.

Kenneth D. Schisler is a former member of the Maryland House of Delegates and former chair of the Maryland Public Service Commission.

2002 Maryland gubernatorial election

The 2002 Maryland gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 2002. Democratic Governor Parris Glendening was term-limited and could not seek a third term. Republican Bob Ehrlich defeated Democrat Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, making him the first Republican governor of Maryland since Spiro Agnew in 1966. This was the last time Charles County voted Republican for any office.

2010 Maryland gubernatorial election

The Maryland gubernatorial election of 2010 was held on November 2, 2010. The date included the election of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and all members of the Maryland General Assembly. Incumbent Governor Martin O'Malley and Lieutenant Governor Anthony G. Brown, both Democrats, were eligible to run for a second term in office and won re-election against former governor Bob Ehrlich and his running mate Mary Kane. Ehrlich had previously been defeated for reelection by O'Malley in 2006. O'Malley and Brown became the first gubernatorial ticket in Maryland history to receive more than one million votes.As of 2019, this is the most recent election in which a Democrat was elected Governor of Maryland.

2008 United States House of Representatives elections in Maryland

The 2008 congressional elections in Maryland were held on November 4, 2008 to determine who would represent the state of Maryland in the United States House of Representatives, coinciding with the presidential election. Representatives are elected for two-year terms; those elected serve in the 111th Congress from January 3, 2009 until January 3, 2011.

1999 Baltimore mayoral election

On November 2, 1999, the city of Baltimore, Maryland, elected a new mayor, the 47th in the city's history. Primary elections were held to determine the nominees for the Democratic Party and Republican Party on September 14. Incumbent mayor Kurt Schmoke, a Democrat, opted not to run for reelection. Martin O'Malley, a member of the Baltimore City Council, won the election to succeed Schmoke.

2014 Maryland gubernatorial election

The 2014 Maryland gubernatorial election took place on November 4, 2014, to elect the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Maryland. Incumbent Democratic Governor Martin O'Malley was term-limited and could not run for reelection to a third consecutive term.

2014 Maryland Attorney General election

The Maryland Attorney General election of 2014 was held on November 4, 2014, to elect the Attorney General of Maryland. Incumbent Democratic Attorney General Doug Gansler was eligible to seek a third term in office, but instead ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for Governor of Maryland.

2014 Maryland Comptroller election

The Maryland Comptroller election of 2014 was held on November 4, 2014, to elect the Comptroller of Maryland. Incumbent Democratic Comptroller Peter Franchot ran for re-election to a third term in office.

2018 Maryland gubernatorial election

The Maryland gubernatorial election of 2018 was held on November 6, 2018. The date included the election of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and all members of the Maryland General Assembly. Incumbent governor Larry Hogan and Lieutenant Governor Boyd Rutherford, both Republicans, were eligible to run for a second term in office and pursued a successful re-election against former NAACP CEO Ben Jealous and his running mate Susan Turnbull. Hogan and Rutherford became the first Republican gubernatorial ticket in Maryland to win reelection since 1954, and won the greatest ever number of votes for a gubernatorial candidate in Maryland.

References

  1. 1 2 http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2005/oct/24/20051024-103424-5071r/
  2. http://www.wbaltv.com/r/9410402/detail.html%5Bpermanent+dead+link%5D
  3. 1 2 http://www.elections.state.md.us/elections/2006/results/primary/office_Governor__Lt_Governor.html
  4. http://www.parc.umd.edu/2006Analyses/EhrlichAnalysisKristenCox.htm%5Bpermanent+dead+link%5D
  5. http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bal-te.poll06,1,526266.story?coll=bal-home-headlines
  6. https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/29/AR2006092901818.html
  7. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mb2FBF7Pwo
  8. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DTH_Saas1I
  9. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2006/sep/6/20060906-100015-2449r/
  10. https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/24/AR2006102401145.html
  11. O'Malley for governor
  12. http://www.time.com/time/archive/preview/0,10987,1050272,00.html
  13. http://www.elections.state.md.us/elections/2006/results/general/office_Governor__Lt_Governor.html