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| Turnout | 57.53% 4.32%[1] | |||||||||||||||||||
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 County resultsO'Malley: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Ehrlich: 50–60% 60–70% | ||||||||||||||||||||
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The2006 Maryland gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 2006. IncumbentRepublican governorBob Ehrlich ran for a second term, but was defeated by theDemocratic nominee,Baltimore MayorMartin O'Malley. Ehrlich was the only incumbent governor from either party to lose a general election in the 2006 midterms.
Baltimore MayorMartin O'Malley andMontgomery County ExecutiveDoug Duncan emerged as the two Democratic candidates for governor in late 2005. Early polling indicated that O'Malley would have the advantage 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.[2]
As the gubernatorial campaign intensified, Duncan withdrew from the race, citing his diagnosis with clinical depression. In the same announcement, he threw his support behind O'Malley and declined to seek another office in the fall. No other Democratic candidate had announced, so O'Malley was unopposed in the primary election.
O'Malley selectedAnthony Brown, a blackState Delegate fromPrince George's County and a veteran of theIraq War, as his running mate.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Martin O'Malley | 524,671 | 100.00% | |
| Total votes | 524,671 | 100.00% | ||
Ehrlich sought a second term as governor and did not face opposition at any point in the Republican primary. Incumbentlieutenant governorMichael Steeleran for the U.S. Senate instead of seeking a second term as lieutenant governor, so Ehrlich named Maryland Secretary of DisabilitiesKristen Cox, who is blind, as his running mate.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bob Ehrlich (incumbent) | 213,744 | 100.00% | |
| Total votes | 213,744 | 100.00% | ||
Elected to his first term in2002, incumbent Republican governorBob Ehrlich ran for a second term as governor, opposed by the Democratic nominee,Martin O'Malley, the mayor ofBaltimore. Both candidates emerged from uncontested primary elections and a contentious election season began.
Early in the campaign, Ehrlich boasted decent approval ratings fromMaryland citizens, with a Gonzalez Research poll taken during October 2005 showing him with a 49% approval rating.[2] andThe Baltimore Sun poll from November 2005 giving the Governor a 50% approval and a 33% disapproval.[4] However, the unpopularity of the nationalRepublican Party and PresidentGeorge W. Bush dragged Ehrlich's re-election chances down.[5][6]
Ehrlich launched attack ads that hit O'Malley oncrime in Baltimore under his tenure as Mayor, calling the murder rate in Baltimore "awful" and "an embarrassment to the state of Maryland."[7] O'Malley countered with one television ad that featured testimonials from local community leaders,Howard County ExecutiveJames N. Robey,Baltimore County ExecutiveJames T. Smith Jr.[8] and another ad that attacked Ehrlich for breaking his promise to end parole for violent criminals.[9]
The Washington Post andThe 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[10] and the Post called him "a generally proficient, pragmatic governor" and praised him for "successes on transportation, the environment and education."[11]
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."[12] O'Malley also called upon the praise given to him byTIME Magazine when they named him one of the country's "Top 5 Big City Mayors."[13]
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[14] | Tossup | November 6, 2006 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[15] | Lean D(flip) | November 6, 2006 |
| Rothenberg Political Report[16] | Lean D(flip) | November 2, 2006 |
| Real Clear Politics[17] | Tossup | November 6, 2006 |
| Source | Date | Martin O'Malley (D) | Bob Ehrlich (R) |
|---|---|---|---|
| SurveyUSA[citation needed] | November 5, 2006 | 50% | 47% |
| The Baltimore Sun/Potomac Inc.[18] | November 1, 2006 | 47% | 46% |
| The Wall Street Journal/Zogby[19] | October 31, 2006 | 49.3% | 43.9% |
| Public Opinion Strategies[20] | October 31, 2006 | 46% | 45% |
| Rasmussen[21] | October 30, 2006 | 50% | 47% |
| The Washington Post[22] | October 29, 2006 | 55% | 45% |
| Rasmussen[23] | October 17, 2006 | 53% | 45% |
| USA Today/Gallup[24] | October 6, 2006 | 53% | 41% |
| The Baltimore Sun/Potomac Inc.[25] | September 24, 2006 | 50% | 44% |
| Survey USA[26] | September 20, 2006 | 51% | 44% |
| Rasmussen[27] | September 20, 2006 | 49% | 42% |
| The Wall Street Journal/Zogby[19] | September 11, 2006 | 52.5% | 39.6% |
| The Wall Street Journal/Zogby[19] | August 28, 2006 | 52.0% | 42.2% |
| Rasmussen[28] | August 18, 2006 | 50% | 43% |
| [29] | August 14, 2006 | 41% | 41% |
| The Wall Street Journal/Zogby[19] | July 24, 2006 | 51.3% | 42.2% |
| Rasmussen[30] | July 17, 2006 | 49% | 42% |
| The Baltimore Sun/Potomac Inc.[31] | July 16, 2006 | 46% | 38% |
| The Washington Post[32] | June 25, 2006 | 51% | 40% |
| The Wall Street Journal/Zogby[19] | June 21, 2006 | 53.1% | 39.2% |
| Opinion Works[33] | April 27, 2006 | 46% | 37% |
| Rasmussen[34] | April 21, 2006 | 51% | 42% |
| Gonzales Research[35] | April 18, 2006 | 46% | 41% |
| Rasmussen[36] | January 13, 2006 | 42% | 47% |
| The Wall Street Journal/Zogby[37] | January 13, 2006 | 53% | 40% |
| Rasmussen[38] | November 22, 2005 | 46% | 40% |
| The Baltimore Sun[39] | November 6, 2005 | 48% | 33% |
| The Baltimore Sun[40] | October 25, 2005 | 48% | 42% |
| Rasmussen[41] | July 18, 2005 | 41% | 46% |
| The Baltimore Sun[42] | April 17, 2005 | 45% | 39% |
| The Baltimore Sun[42] | January 2005 | 40% | 40% |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Martin O'Malley | 942,279 | 52.69% | +5.02% | |
| Republican | Bob Ehrlich (incumbent) | 825,464 | 46.16% | −5.39% | |
| Green | Ed Boyd | 15,551 | 0.87% | N/A | |
| Populist | Christopher Driscoll | 3,481 | 0.19% | N/A | |
| Write-in | 1,541 | 0.09% | N/A | ||
| Total votes | 1,788,316 | 100.00% | N/A | ||
| Democraticgain fromRepublican | |||||
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
Although both contests remained competitive, the general anti-Republican mood pervading the nation began to weigh on Ehrlich and Steele, who tried to tap national GOP connections for money while trying to avoid an affiliation with Washington as the climate worsened for their party.
| General | |
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| Governor |
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| State Senate | |
| House of Delegates | |
| U.S. President | |
| U.S. Senate |
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| U.S. House |
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| Attorney General | |
| Comptroller | |
| County Executive | |
See also:Political party strength in Maryland | |
