Baltimore Mayor Martin O?Malley has a 13-point lead over Gov. Robert Ehrlich, according to a recent Wall Street Journal poll. The poll, just seven weeks before the gubernatorial election was touted by O?Malley spokesman Rick Abbruzzese as a positive sign for the O?Malley campaign.
“This poll shows that Martin O?Malley is a very strong position to take back he governor?s office come November,” Abbruzzese said.
But Ehrlich campaign spokeswoman Shareese DeLeaver fired back, charging the poll is not accurate.
“Honestly we haven?t given it one second of consideration, obviously it?s much different from the result we?ve seen internally, and in other polls.”
The Wall Street Journal poll is conducted primary online, leading some critics to argue that the poll tends to reflect the preferences of younger voters who are less likely to vote.
Only two percent of the respondents are actually called, according to the poll?s published methodology.
But Abbruzzese said that the results are in line with other polls.
“It?s consistent with other polls we?ve seen,” he said.
DeLeaver, however, pointed to a recent Gonzales polls that called gave O?Malley only a four point lead as evidence that the race is closer
“Our polls show much different numbers” she said.
Abbruzzese attributed the widening of O?Malley?s lead as a reaction to the tone of the campaign.
“I think what were starting to see a backlash lash against the negative attack ads that the Ehrlich campaign has been running for three months,” Abbruzzese said.
But DeLeaver said it?s the O?Malley campaign that has been negative. “Given the ads and the false and misleading literature from the O?Malley campaign that statement is rooted hypocrisy,” she said.
