If you thought street corner sign wavers were perky, wait until the looming grin of your local campaigner cruises beside you on your morning commute.
In the race for the Howard County executive seat, County Council Chairman Christopher Merdon, R-District 5, caught onto a trend that has campaigners pasting their face on the side of semi-trucks, and parking them at key locations.
“I get calls on my cell phone from people who just drove by. They tell me how excited they are to see it,” Merdon said. “A billboard becomes stale after a while. The truck can be moved and put in different settings. That keeps it interesting.”
Vytex Windows, in Laurel, temporarily donated a spare truck to Merdon for use in his campaign and the GOP Shoppe, a campaign material supplier, sold Merdon the decals.
The truck will keep Merdon?s image around the county, until campaigners can begin posting signs July 14.
“With the ridiculous sign laws we have in Howard County, I can park a truck in front of my house with a candidate?s logo, but I can?t have 1 by 2 foot sign,” said Brian Harlin, manager of the GOP Shoppe and Chairman of the Howard County Republican Central Committee.
Harlin would not say how much the decals cost, but said it was much less than a billboard, which he said can cost between $3,000 and $5,000 per month.
Mobile billboards, in which a truck drives with a narrow billboard on its bed, can cost more than $3,000 for one week, according to the Web site for a business that provides the vehicles.
“It?s novel and it will start a trend, there?s no doubt about it. Especially when he wins,” said Don Murphy, GOP campaign strategist and former House of Delegates representative.
County Council Member Kenneth Ulman, a Democratic contender in the county executive race, said his campaign focused on legislation.
“People have different philosophies about campaigning. Ours is to focus on reasonable solutions for the citizens,” Ulman said.
Harlin is now working on a similar campaign truck for Gov. Robert Ehrlich, but without the giant face.
