Three months after announcing his candidacy for governor, former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. has made it official. He and newly chosen running mate Mary Kane filed paperwork Friday afternoon with the State Board of Elections.
"I feel really great about it," Ehrlich said afterward. He and Kane spent the morning as guests on Washington-area television and radio news programs. They have 10 parade appearances scheduled over the Fourth of July weekend, Ehrlich said.
Ehrlich and Kane said they had both taken leaves of absence from their day jobs. Until June 30, Ehrlich had been part-time at Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, a Baltimore office he helped launch for a North Carolina law firm. Kane said her leave from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, where she is a special projects director, became effective Thursday.
The filing deadline for all state candidates is Tuesday, and the elections board is closed Monday. Businessman Brian Murphy, a lesser-known Republican gubernatorial candidate who filed months ago, must refile paperwork that includes his choice of a running mate. The primary election is in September.
Gov. Martin O'Malley, the Democrat who defeated Ehrlich four years ago, filed June 16 for reelection. He faces a handful of little-known Democratic opponents in the primary.