Maryland Republican Bob Ehrlich has reported raising $725,505 from more than 3,000 donors since Aug. 11.
The 18-day totals equal one-quarter of what Ehrlich generated over the course of eight months. The former governor now has more than $2.5 million in campaign cash, according to Ehrlich spokesman Andy Barth.
Gov. Martin O’Malley, Ehrlich’s Democratic challenger, has not reported his fundraising totals from the 18-day reporting period ending Aug. 29.
But O’Malley’s war chest is still expected to far outweigh Ehrlich’s.
From Jan. 14 to Aug. 10, O’Malley raised roughly $3.3 million and Ehrlich raised $3.1 million. But O’Malley reported three times the amount of cash on hand — roughly $6.7 million — because he had millions in the bank before January.
Politics professor Tom Schaller said Ehrlich’s 18-day totals show his campaign is gaining considerable momentum.
“Ehrlich is more competitive than before,” said Schaller, associate professor of political science at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. “Money chases competitive candidates, as opposed to the other way around.”
But campaign analyst Larry Sabato said Ehrlich is still going to be “dramatically outspent” by his Democratic opponent.
“Ehrlich’s success depends almost entirely on a substantial GOP wave,” he said, noting Maryland’s 2-to-1 ratio of Democrats to Republicans. “Maybe it will materialize, but Maryland is one of the last places it’s going to show.” Sabato is the director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics.
Ehrlich’s campaign reported that 98 percent of his most recent contributions came from Marylanders.
“That is a stunning, stunning, stunning percentage,” Schaller said. “Really, that is shocking. It shows there is excitement in Maryland.”
Roughly 70 percent of the donations were $100 or less.
