Governor Bob Ehrlich was...

[Moooooo]

...the only incumbent Governor in the entire nation to lose reelection on November 7th.  Republican incumbents defeated their challengers in Democratic states such as HI, RI, VT, CT, CA...

Why?

[Jake]

As an out of stater who's in Maryland quite a bit, it seemed like Ehrlich was a bit of a lightweight who always put his support behind the wrong programs. So, I'd say the national mood, lack of a real record, and the state lean all combined to defeat him. It didn't help that he had an at least credible opponent running against him.

[Boris]

The nature of the state really hurt Ehrlich. I believe according to CNN, Ehrlich won indepedents and his base was soundly behind him, but O'Malley still won by eight percentage points. Says a lot, doesn't it?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

It shows the only way you can win as a Republican in Maryland is to have your opponent be a complete f**king idiot who wants to ban dodgeball.

[Akno21]

I'd say the main reason was the appeal of Martin O'Malley along with a national mood that got Democrats out to vote. Ehrlich had approval numbers that while not great, weren't anything horrible. Although among the Democratic base there was certainly hatred of Ehrlich, state-wide there was not. O'Malley had a lot of support in Baltimore City and Baltimore County that Townsend did not have, and he was helped by high Democratic turnout in other Democratic strongholds.

[Beet]

I agree with Jake that it was a combination of factors. Ehrlich didn't help himself by setting up a number of partisan showdowns with the legislature over slots, tort reforms, and the wal-mart bill, in which he seemed to favor no progress over compromise.

This state seems to like its Republican governors liberal... McKeldin, Spiro Agnew before he went batsh*t insane. Instead, Ehrlich tried to be a mini-Bush bringing some of the same partisan acrimony nationally to Maryland, and while he had no egregious failures, that prevented him from getting what he needed to overcome this state's natural Democratic advantage.

[WalterMitty]

he was a republican in a democrat state in a democrat year.  'nuff said.


i still thought hed pull it out though.

i hope he isnt totally finished with politics.  maryland isnt massachusetts (yet).  republicans can still be competitive.

[Moooooo]

he was a republican in a democrat state in a democrat year.  'nuff said.

CA, RI, VT, CT, HI...?

[Conan]

he was a republican in a democrat state in a democrat year.  'nuff said.

CA, RI, VT, CT, HI...?

He was mediocre, the other ones are popular. Although survey usa sucks at approval/disapproval ratings check the other governors out. Rell is one of the most popular. Lingle right after her. Douglas 21% net approve. Carcieri right after him. Angiledes was just a terrible candidate.

Forgot to mention, Ehrlich was 48/48 so people really didnt care or not whether he was gone.

[HardRCafé]

CA, RI, VT, CT, HI...?

In none of those is the Democrat majority mainly racist.

[Mike in Maryland]

CA, RI, VT, CT, HI...?

In none of those is the Democrat majority mainly racist.

And neither is the Democratic majority in Maryland.  So what's your point?

[Storebought]

maryland isnt massachusetts (yet).  republicans can still be competitive (snip)

 ... that is, until every state and Congressional district is redrawn to include some part of Prince George's County.

[Mike in Maryland]

maryland isnt massachusetts (yet).  republicans can still be competitive (snip)

 ... that is, until every state and Congressional district is redrawn to include some part of Prince George's County.

The state has three overwhelmingly Democratic jurisdictions; PG County, Montgomery County, and Baltimore City.  The six congressional districts (out of eight) that Democrats hold all include some of at least one of those counties.

Due to the state's size, population density, and district lines, I can hit every congressional district in the state in an hour in my car.

[dazzleman]

I remember being surprised at a bill the Ehrlich vetoed that would have involved, I believe, a relatively modest increase in the minimum wage.

I didn't follow him that closely, but maybe he was too economically conservative for a pretty liberal state.

I also think he was helped in his first race by having a black man as his Lt. Gov. candidate, which he didn't have this time.

I don't buy into the "Republican in a Democratic year" argument.  The anti-Republican mood was directed toward Congress, at the national level.  Voters are capable of distinguishing between local and national issues.  Republican governors in other states, including my own, were not hurt by the anti-Republican mood toward Congress, if they handled their own local issues well. 

I suspect Ehrlich didn't.  Still, I was sorry to see him lose.  I have a deep-seated suspicion of, and hostility to, the typical big city mayor.  I don't share the values of the constituencies they tend to represent, and their main obsession seems to be to get other pay to subsidize their own irresponsible spending and behavior, and accept having all their problems dumped on them.  I don't know much about O'Malley, but it wouldn't surprise me if he were the same breed of cat as most other big city mayors.

[Rococo4]

He ran against a weak opponent in 2002 and won in a Republican year.  He had a better opponent in 2006 and it was a Democratic year.  Pretty simple.