Anthony Brown/Larry Hogan
With just six days left until this state’s voters elect their first new governor in eight years, Maryland is welcoming some of the nation’s most prominent political figures, indicating a closer race than expected.
President Obama last week paid Democratic candidate Anthony Brown a visit, and Hillary Clinton will visit this campus Thursday to rally support for Brown.
“National Democrats recognize we are a reliably progressive state,” Brown said in an interview with The Diamondback, “a state that sets the standard for what can be done in terms of promoting economic issues and important social issues that we face as a nation. I welcome their presence, and I think it’s a sign they recognize that Maryland plays a leadership role in this country.”
Republican Larry Hogan’s campaign said Obama’s and the former secretary of state’s visits are a sign that the Democrats are afraid of Hogan’s momentum.
“They’re very worried,” said Hogan campaign spokesman Adam Dubitsky. “When [Democrats] have all these governors’ races to defend around the country, all these Senate races and control of the Senate, the fact that they have to spend any time and money in Maryland is an indication that they are very concerned.”
Michael Hanmer, a government and politics professor at this university, said it’s “hard to dismiss” the idea that the Brown campaign is concerned.
“[Brown] is at risk in terms of people who support him just don’t show up to vote,” Hanmer said. “You would always want prominent figures to come, but they only have so much time. If they’re choosing to come, there must be some sense that it’s necessary to help make that final push.”
The Hogan campaign has also received high-profile visits, notably from New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. The chairman of the Republican Governors Association made his third stop in this state Tuesday, rallying support for Hogan in Glen Burnie. He will come again on Sunday.
“[The RGA] don’t participate in landslides,” Dubitsky said. “They only fight in the states where they think they can win. This is a dead even race, and the Democrats are struggling.”
A Gonzales Research & Marketing Strategies poll released Monday indicated that Brown is ahead of Hogan by just two percentage points. The “Maryland, My Maryland” PAC, whose leaders support Hogan, commissioned the poll. Hanmer, who helped commission the Washington Post/UMD poll showing a 9-point lead for Brown, said the disparity could stem from the type of sample Gonzales drew or its question wording.
Both campaigns have emphasized on early voting, which ends Thursday, but turnout numbers show a Democratic advantage.
As of yesterday, the sixth day of early voting, 97,777 registered Democrats and 45,219 Republicans had cast an early ballot, according to the Maryland Board of Elections. These numbers show the registered party of the voter, not the candidate he or she voted for. Registered Democrats outnumber Republicans 2-to-1 in the state.
“I’m really excited about it; it’s a competitive race,” Brown said. “You don’t want to get lulled into a sense of complacency because of the party registration in Maryland; they are competitive races. The stakes are high, but we’re excited about the momentum we’ve got.”
In a fundraising report Friday, Brown’s campaign announced it had $900,000 remaining for the final stretch. Hogan’s campaign reported about $442,000 in the bank. Dubitsky said they expected to be outspent in the heavily Democratic state, but he said he’s confident the undecided voters are leaning toward Hogan, that Brown’s television ads “aren’t really making it.”
Clinton’s rally on Thursday will be the third Brown event on the campus in eight days. Brown’s running mate Ken Ulman greeted students outside Stamp Student Union on Thursday, and Gov. Martin O’Malley visited on Saturday.
“I love the fact they’re sending all these prominent figures to our area or on campus,” said Student Government Association President Patrick Ronk. “I think it’s them trying to show a commitment to college students and people who care about education, that this is a priority for them.”
Brown said he is committed to making college more affordable for Maryland’s public schools, and he added that he hopes these visits will inspire students in their own future endeavors.
“We see on our college campuses the future leaders,” Brown said. “It’s not just about this campaign but it’s about young men and women whether they go into business, whether they go into politics or academia. You’re going to be leaders in our state and in our nation, and we think it’s important that we involve you early on in the work that we do.”
Due to an editing error, a previous version of this article incorrectly reported the number of Democrats and Republicans who cast a vote early for the gubernatorial election. The numbers have been changed to reflect the accurate turnout.
