Editor’s note 5/14/2022: I have brought this home from the dead Examiner.com pages.
Candidates are still nearly a year away from being able to officially file for the 2014 state elections, but 2010 candidate for state Comptroller William Campbell revealed his intention to make another bid for the office. Campbell received 39% of the vote in 2010 against incumbent Comptroller Peter Franchot, but Franchot is among several Democrats hinted as making a bid for the brass ring of Government House as Governor Martin O’Malley cannot run for a third term.
In a statement on his personal Facebook page Campbell noted it was his intention to file “as soon as it is allowed” and will go about the business of setting up a campaign website and fundraising. He pointed out that he got his 39 percent of the vote in 2010 “with no money and no organization,” adding to this reporter that at this stage he’s “looking for volunteers to help me put together a winning team.”
Assuming Campbell finds the support he desires, the statewide Republican dance card is already beginning to fill out nicely. A gubernatorial run for Harford County Executive David Craig is probably one of Maryland’s worst-kept secrets; also in the mix is Larry Hogan, who ran briefly in 2010 before yielding to the candidacy of former Governor Bob Ehrlich. Hogan’s Change Maryland group recently celebrated its 12,000th member, which in Facebook terms put him ahead of both the Maryland Democratic and Republican parties combined.
Unlike the 2010 election, where Senator Barbara Mikulski retained her seat over Republican Eric Wargotz, and this year’s contest where Senator Ben Cardin faces a spirited campaign from GOP nominee Dan Bongino, the 2014 election won’t have a statewide federal race. Republicans are hoping for a repeat of the last time this scenario occurred, which was the 2002 election. Depending on how Mitt Romney fares in Maryland and nationwide, the table could be set for a similar success in two years and Campbell apparently wants to get an early start.