A new poll puts Republican gubernatorial hopeful Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. just three percentage points behind his Democratic contender, Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley — reflecting a tightening of the race since February.
O’Malley earned 47 percent of voter support and Ehrlich earned 44 percent in the most recent telephone survey of “likely” voters by Rasmussen Reports. Two percent of voters preferred other candidates, and 7 percent were undecided.
Three months ago, O’Malley led Ehrlich by six percentage points — 49 percent to 43 percent.
The shrinking gap between O’Malley and Ehrlich is an early indication that Ehrlich has more than a fighting chance against an incumbent in a largely Democratic state.
At the beginning of the month, Ehrlich officially announced his campaign from Rockville in Montgomery County — a district traditionally loyal to O’Malley.
“We announced our campaign in Rockville four years ago, and maybe imitation is the highest form of flattery,” O’Malley said in response.
If gubernatorial elections in New Jersey, Virginia and Massachusetts are any indication, the Republican hopeful will stomp the Democratic incumbent. But Ehrlich also was an incumbent once, and O’Malley took his office in 2006 with nearly 53 percent of the vote. Both candidates’ campaigns declined to comment on the poll.
Also according to the survey results:
O’Malley is more popular among the ladies than Ehrlich. O’Malley won the support of 54 percent of women and 35 percent of men. Ehrlich was favored by 38 percent of women and 55 percent of men.
Half of Marylanders say they approve of O’Malley’s work as governor — down 3 percentage points from February — and a majority say they approve of federally mandated health care.
In other numbers, Ehrlich has a Facebook following almost three times that of O’Malley.
Ehrlich’s Facebook page boasts about 21,000 fans, whereas O’Malley’s teeters on fewer than 8,000.
