The rematch between Democratic Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley and Republican former Gov. Bob Ehrlich appears to be neck and neck. With six weeks to go until the election, a new poll shows either candidate can win.
O'Malley has a slim lead in the new poll, but when you account for the statistical margin of error it's up for grabs.
Ehrlich is getting a boost from the new poll taken by the Rasmussen reports. It shows O'Malley at 50 percent and Ehrlich at 47 percent with a margin of error of 4 percent.
"An incumbent in the bluest of the blue state's in a dead heat is in trouble," Ehrlich said.
The poll has something good for both candidates, said Cook Political Report Senior Editor Jennifer Duffy.
"Governor O'Malley has 50 percent in the poll. That means that Ehrlich has to chip away at that lead but its a virtual tie."
O'Malley has raised a lot more money than his opponent and now is launching his first TV ad in the D.C. area focusing on his commitment to education. It says Maryland's education system is rated best in the nation. Tuition at the state university has been frozen for four years.
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Ehrlich's campaign is saving its money for local TV ads later in the campaign, but the Republican Governors Association has bought TV time on his behalf to compete for the voters in the suburbs around the Beltway. The ad says O'Malley raised taxes and cost the state jobs, moving Maryland backwards.
Ehrlich's ad is titled "Backwards," an attack on O'Malley's theme, "Moving Maryland Forward."
The ads show how contentious and costly this campaign could become.
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