Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Ehrlich announced Mary D. Kane will be his running mate in Maryland.
Ehrlich announced his lieutenant governor candidate on Facebook at 10 p.m. Wednesday. Just another tip of the hat to the power of social networking and the Internet that politicians including President Barack Obama have sought to use to political advantage.
In making his pitch on Facebook Ehrlich said, "We're going to turn this state around, Mary. There's a lot of demand out there. A lot of people are energized. They're energetic. The taxpayers demand representation, and you're going to be my partner in this great effort."
Kane, 48, is a former Maryland secretary of state. She is a first-generation American of Irish descent, an attorney and a mother. She lives in Potomac.
Ehrlich will introduce Kane at a rally Thursday morning.
Ehrich has run for governor twice before -- once successfully. He has made bold moves in his choices for lieutenant governor in the past. Former Lt. Gov. Michael Steele was his choice in 2002, making Ehrlich the first gubernatorial candidate to put an African-American on his ticket.
Ehrlich is challenging incumbent Gov. Martin O'Malley in a rematch of a race O'Malley won four years ago.
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"(Kane) is certainly no stranger to Maryland politics and is very familiar with Bob Ehrlich's political ideology, having served on his political team during the one Ehrlich term," said Tom Russell, campaign manager for the O'Malley-Brown campaign. "Ms. Kane certainly has an interesting background working for the family business and a unique perspective on Bob Ehrlich's background. We look forward to her being part of this discussion."
