| Election Name: | 2006 Maryland gubernatorial election |
| Country: | Maryland |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Turnout: | 57.53% 4.32%[1] |
| Previous Election: | 2002 Maryland gubernatorial election |
| Previous Year: | 2002 |
| Next Election: | 2010 Maryland gubernatorial election |
| Next Year: | 2010 |
| Election Date: | November 7, 2006 |
| Image1: | Image:Martin O'Malley, photo portrait, visiting Maryland National Guard, June 8, 2008.jpg |
| Nominee1: | Martin O'Malley |
| Party1: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Running Mate1: | Anthony Brown |
| Popular Vote1: | 942,279 |
| Percentage1: | 52.69% |
| Nominee2: | Bob Ehrlich |
| Party2: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Running Mate2: | Kristen Cox |
| Popular Vote2: | 825,464 |
| Percentage2: | 46.16% |
| Map Size: | 295px |
| Governor | |
| Before Election: | Bob Ehrlich |
| Before Party: | Republican Party (United States) |
| After Election: | Martin O'Malley |
| After Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
The 2006 Maryland gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 2006. Incumbent Republican Governor Bob Ehrlich ran for a second term, but was defeated by the Democratic nominee, Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley. Ehrlich was the only incumbent governor from either party to lose a general election in the 2006 midterms.
Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley and Montgomery County Executive Doug 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 selected Anthony Brown, a black State Delegate from Prince George's County and a veteran of the Iraq War, as his running mate.
Ehrlich sought a second term as governor and did not face opposition at any point in the Republican primary. Incumbent Lieutenant Governor Michael Steele ran for the U.S. Senate instead of seeking a second term as lieutenant governor, so Ehrlich named Maryland Secretary of Disabilities Kristen Cox, who is blind, as his running mate.
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. and a Baltimore Sun poll from November 2005 giving the Governor a 50% approval and a 33% disapproval.[3] However, the unpopularity of the national Republican Party and President George W. Bush dragged Ehrlich's re-election chances down.[4] [5]
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]
| Source | Ranking | As of | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| align=left | The Cook Political Report[13] | November 6, 2006 | ||
| align=left | Sabato's Crystal Ball[14] | November 6, 2006 | ||
| align=left | Rothenberg Political Report[15] | November 2, 2006 | ||
| align=left | Real Clear Politics[16] | November 6, 2006 |
| width=300px | Source | width=150px | Date | width=100px | Martin O'Malley (D) | width=100px | Bob Ehrlich (R) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| align=left | SurveyUSA | November 5, 2006 | 50% | 47% | |||
| align=left | Baltimore Sun/Potomac Inc. | November 1, 2006 | 47% | 46% | |||
| align=left | Wall Street Journal/Zogby | October 31, 2006 | 49.3% | 43.9% | |||
| align=left | Public Opinion Strategies | October 31, 2006 | 46% | 45% | |||
| align=left | Rasmussen | October 30, 2006 | 50% | 47% | |||
| align=left | Washington Post | October 29, 2006 | 55% | 45% | |||
| align=left | Rasmussen | October 17, 2006 | 53% | 45% | |||
| align=left | USA TODAY/Gallup | October 6, 2006 | 53% | 41% | |||
| align=left | Baltimore Sun/Potomac Inc. | September 24, 2006 | 50% | 44% | |||
| align=left | Survey USA | September 20, 2006 | 51% | 44% | |||
| align=left | Rasmussen | September 20, 2006 | 49% | 42% | |||
| align=left | Wall Street Journal/Zogby | September 11, 2006 | 52.5% | 39.6% | |||
| align=left | Wall Street Journal/Zogby | August 28, 2006 | 52.0% | 42.2% | |||
| align=left | Rasmussen | August 18, 2006 | 50% | 43% | |||
| align=left | http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2006/senate/md/maryland_senate_race-114.html | August 14, 2006 | 41% | 41% | |||
| align=left | Wall Street Journal/Zogby | July 24, 2006 | 51.3% | 42.2% | |||
| align=left | Rasmussen | July 17, 2006 | 49% | 42% | |||
| align=left | Baltimore Sun/Potomac Inc. | July 16, 2006 | 46% | 38% | |||
| align=left | The Washington Post | June 25, 2006 | 51% | 40% | |||
| align=left | Wall Street Journal/Zogby | June 21, 2006 | 53.1% | 39.2% | |||
| align=left | Opinion Works | April 27, 2006 | 46% | 37% | |||
| align=left | Rasmussen | April 21, 2006 | 51% | 42% | |||
| align=left | Gonzales Research | April 18, 2006 | 46% | 41% | |||
| align=left | Rasmussen | January 13, 2006 | 42% | 47% | |||
| align=left | Wall Street Journal/Zogby | January 13, 2006 | 53% | 40% | |||
| align=left | Rasmussen | November 22, 2005 | 46% | 40% | |||
| align=left | Baltimore Sun | November 6, 2005 | 48% | 33% | |||
| align=left | Baltimore Sun | October 25, 2005 | 48% | 42% | |||
| align=left | Rasmussen | July 18, 2005 | 41% | 46% | |||
| align=left | Baltimore Sun | April 17, 2005 | 45% | 39% | |||
| align=left | Baltimore Sun | January 2005 | 40% | 40% |