Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown will spend much of September as salesman-in-chief for Maryland's new health insurance marketplace.
The role may cut into his time for campaigning for governor, but the vast public outreach on health care access - an issue Brown has championed - may ultimately promote his bid.
Even as early as Tuesday, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Secretary Joshua Sharfstein referred to Brown as "Mr. Governor" at an event unvieling the state's new campaign.
Brown led Maryland's effort to implement the federal health care law here. The new online marketplace for health insurance policies launches on Oct. 1, and promoting it will take priority over Brown's campaign events for the Democratic nomination in the governor's contest.
"The lieutenant governor has made it clear this is more important," campaign manager Justin Schall said. "This is part of who the lieutenant governor is. This is one of his core beliefs. This is fundatmental to who is is as a leader."
After a busy summer collecting endorsments, Brown said late last month he would soon move to laying out his policy issues.