Maryland state Sen. Richard S. Madaleno Jr. (D-Montgomery) on Thursday will debut the first television advertisement of the crowded Democratic gubernatorial primary race — a move designed to shore up his base in his home district.
“We’re putting up the walls around Montgomery County,” said Keith Presley, Madaleno’s campaign manager. “No other campaigns have attempted to make serious inroads there.”
But other candidates do appear to be paying attention to the traditional Democratic stronghold. Former NAACP chief Ben Jealous, Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz and tech entrepreneur Alec Ross chose running mates from Montgomery County, and all seven gubernatorial hopefuls attended a campaign forum in Silver Spring on Tuesday night.
Todd Eberly, a political-science professor at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, said Madaleno’s decision to focus resources on his home jurisdiction — the most populous in Maryland — shows he still has ground to gain with voters there.
The 30-second spot, which will air on CNN and MSNBC stations in Montgomery County, highlights Madaleno’s accomplishments on “progressive priorities” such as banning assault weapons and legalizing same-sex marriage, as well as his family role as “chief dishwasher.” Madaleno’s campaign declined to say how much the ad cost or how long it will be on the air.
“If you’re Baker or Kamenetz and advertising outside your county, then it tells me you’re feeling confident about your base and trying to get some other numbers out there,” Eberly said, referring to Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III.
Baker campaign spokeswoman Madeleine Russak said the campaign is focusing on statewide messaging about what improvements have been made in Prince George’s during Baker’s two terms at the helm.
“While we are working hard to earn every single vote to win the primary, we’re looking toward November,” Russak said. “You’re going to have to have a message that translates across the state to win in November.”
She declined to say when or where television ads for Baker will begin airing. A spokesman for Kamenetz, who had the most campaign cash of any Democratic gubernatorial hopeful as of the most recent campaign filing, could not immediately be reached for comment.
Eberly noted that with seven Democrats vying for donors and dollars, expensive television advertising will probably play less of a role in the primary than it did four years ago, when the three Democratic candidates spent more than $20 million in the nomination battle. “With the money spread between so many candidates, I think they’re going to prioritize it elsewhere,” he said.
Madaleno raised $440,000 in 2017, including a $120,000 loan to himself, and is participating in the state’s public financing system, which will limit his total spending to $2.8 million.
Shaun Daniels, campaign manager for Ross, said he is “seriously doubtful that any campaign will have the financial resources to dominate television in a meaningful way.” He said the campaign plans to target its television buys much the way it has targeted other communications.
Jealous also will focus on targeted television advertisements, his campaign manager, Kevin Harris, said. Harris said the campaign started allocating resources early to TV ads, which it plans to roll out sometime in the next few weeks.
“Not everybody is going to make it on the air,” Harris said. “And a lot of folks that go up might not be able to stay up. It’s this dance you have to do.”
Brian Doory, campaign manager for attorney James Shea, said Shea’s campaign planned to use television ads but declined to specify a timeline. A spokeswoman for former Michelle Obama policy aide Krish Vignarajah said her campaign plans to run television ads closer to the primary.
Madaleno’s ad ends with an image of President Trump, who is as unpopular in Maryland as Hogan is popular.
“Until this guy loses his job, Rich will fight him and his agenda,” the narrator says, without naming the president.
Madaleno said in an interview that the reference to Trump is intended to link him to Hogan, who has repeatedly distanced himself from the Republicans in both Congress and the White House.
“Larry Hogan may say he doesn’t like Donald Trump, but he certainly likes parts of his agenda,” Madaleno said.
