Two prominent New York leaders entered the Maryland governor’s race within 24 hours of each other, squaring off for rival candidates.
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg traveled to Bethesda on Thursday to support Democratic candidate Gov. Martin O’Malley, while Bloomberg’s predecessor, Rudy Giuliani, lent his endorsement to Republican Bob Ehrlich on Wednesday.
Bloomberg, an independent, has endorsed Democratic and Republican candidates running for office across the country this year. In neighboring Delaware, he chose Rep. Mike Castle — who lost the Republican Senate primary to Tea Party favorite Christine O’Donnell. In the District, he made a special appearance for Democratic Mayor Adrian Fenty, who lost to D.C. Council Chairman Vince Gray.
He endorsed O’Malley in Maryland, he said, because the Democratic incumbent “knows how to get things done.”
“Down in Washington I think we’ve seen too much partisan gridlock and political warfare,” Bloomberg said from a podium set up in the Bethesda headquarters of Honest Tea. “He is the real deal… I know very few people who I can stand behind and say ‘this guy really cares and understands and can get things done.'”
Giuliani, a Republican, endorsed Ehrlich on Wednesday evening with a prepared statement saying he is the only candidate who can restore Maryland’s economy.
“His plan for the next four years — creating jobs, lowering the tax burden of families and entrepreneurs, and reining in government spending — is exactly what Maryland needs,” Giuliani said. Ehrlich’s campaign hasn’t indicated whether Giuliani will join him on the campaign trail.
The former mayor — who hasn’t weighed in on any other races this year — has made no mention of Bloomberg’s endorsement. Giuliani hasn’t even taken sides in New York’s governor’s race, for which Bloomberg has endorsed Democratic candidate Andrew Cuomo.
As for Giuliani’s endorsement of Ehrlich, Bloomberg said, “Rudy can do what he thinks is right, I’ll do what I think is right.”
In his seven-minute speech, Bloomberg noted that his billion-dollar philanthropy has poured millions into Baltimore’s Johns Hopkins University, where he earned an undergraduate degree in the 1960s. The 68-year-old went so far as to call Maryland his “second home.”
O’Malley said he hoped Bloomberg’s endorsement would sway Maryland’s independents — who almost equal the number of Republicans.
“Days like today remind us there is no Democratic or Republican way to create a job or to clean up the streets or to reduce crime,” O’Malley said. “[Bloomberg’s] endorsement will have an impact on a lot of people’s opinions, especially those who don’t describe themselves as being with one party or another.”
