Gubernatorial candidate Heather R. Mizeur will run the first television ad in her drive for the Democratic nomination starting in the Baltimore market next week, her campaign said.
With three weeks to go when the ad starts running on broadcast stations Tuesday, Mizeur will become the last of the three contenders in the June 24 Democratic primary to go up on TV. Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown and Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler have been running ads for many weeks in a rivalry that turned sharply negative this week.
Mizeur's ad is entirely positive, in keeping with her campaign strategy. It starts by focusing on her childhood experience walking a union picket line with her striking father, then talks about her record as a state delegate from Montgomery County, including her sponsorship of a bill that helped enroll 50,000 Maryland children in health care.
The ad also highlights Mizeur's proposal to legalize and regulate marijuana and to devote the tax revenues for "good jobs and stronger schools." It ends with her standing side by side with her running mate, the Rev. Delman Coates. "We're not here to make history. We're running to make a real difference in Maryland," says Mizeur, who would be the first female and first openly gay governor in Maryland.
Until now, Mizeur has been conserving her funds in preparation for a media blitz during the final stretch. She ended the last reporting period with about $1 million on hand, about one-fourth what Brown had to spend and one-third of what Gansler had on hand.