Is Governor O'Malley (D) in Danger of Losing the MD Governor's Race?

from The Baltimore Sun

The Democratic National Committee wired $100,000 to the Maryland Democratic Party Wednesday, a cash infusion the party says will help statewide campaign efforts for the fall.

“We have a variety of things we are going to be doing,” a Maryland Democratic spokesman said. Spokesman Isaac Salazar listed efforts to take advantage of new early-voting rules and a get-out-the-vote drive on election day.

“We are going to have a lot of folks we need to hire across the state,” he said. “It will support a lot of ongoing efforts we have in place.”

The cash transfer appears to be part of a national Democratic effort to funnel $50 million into states with competitive races. The party also moved money Wednesday to Florida and Pennsylvania, according to a Democratic source.

A pair of Maryland rematches are attracting national attention this cycle: the race between Republican former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. and Democratic Gov. Martin O’Malley; and the contest between freshman Democratic Rep. Frank Kratovil and Republican state Sen. Andrew Harris in the 1st Congressional District.

O’Malley had $4.8 million in his campaign war chest in January, has access to other funds, and is widely expected to outraise Ehrlich, who has not had to report any campaign finance figures. Kratovil has $1.3 million for his re-election effort, compared to Harris’s $890,000 as of June 30.

The Maryland GOP apparently has not seen the same kind of support from the Republican National Committee, which is chaired by former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele.

An RNC spokesman said the DNC transfer “is a clear sign of just how vulnerable Governor O’Malley has become.” Spokesman Parish Braden said the RNC is making “an unprecedented investment this cycle to support the Maryland Republican Party and Republican campaign efforts across the state."

Braden said the RNC would help Maryland Republicans open seven staffed regional field offices to assist in get-out-the-vote efforts. He said RNC investment would help the state party hire staff dedicated to turning out early and absentee voters.

Maryland GOP chairwoman Audrey Scott said the Democrats were “extremely fortunate.”