Brian Murphy, a little-known Republican candidate for Maryland governor, unexpectedly won an endorsement Wednesday from one of the biggest names in national politics: Sarah Palin. Palin's decision to side with Murphy over former governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) in September's GOP primary prompted plenty of head-scratching in Maryland political circles. But it remained unclear what impact the endorsement might have in a state where the "tea party" movement has not packed nearly as much punch as elsewhere. Murphy, 33, a business investor from Montgomery County, has tried to position himself as a more conservative alternative to Ehrlich on issues including taxes and gun rights. But prior to Wednesday, Murphy's candidacy had been considered so much of a long shot that most pollsters had not bothered to measure his support.
Ehrlich boosters, meanwhile, argued that being shunned by Palin could actually help him in a state where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans more than 2 to 1. To defeat Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) in the November general election, Ehrlich will need to draw significant support from Democrats and independents, some of whom harbor great antipathy toward the former Alaska governor and 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee. In recent months, Palin has thrown her support behind more than two dozen candidates, a mixture of tea party favorites and more established Republican types, with decidedly mixed results.
In a posting Wednesday on her Facebook page, Palin called Murphy "a pro-life, pro-Second Amendment common-sense conservative and a firm believer in the free market and the cause for energy independence."
"Brian has the private sector experience that is so lacking in government today," Palin said in the posting. "He knows how to incentivize industry to get our economy moving again."
Murphy, who has never sought public office before, said he was "humbled and honored" to receive the support of "an icon." He said Palin's people had first reached out to his campaign about a possible endorsement several months ago. Murphy, whose investments include a small bakery on Smith Island, has portrayed himself as having more business acumen than Ehrlich. Murphy has also sought to lump Ehrlich and O'Malley together on taxes and spending issues, arguing that he represents a clean break from the past eight years. Ehrlich has, for the most part, ignored Murphy. While Maryland's Republican establishment has rallied behind Ehrlich, Murphy has made inroads with some conservative activists, including James Pelura, the former state party chairman. SOURCE: Washington Post
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