In Tuesday’s Diamondback article on former vice president Doug Duncan’s potential bid for governor of Maryland in 2010, Duncan lambasted Gov. Martin O’Malley’s leadership in tough times. He’s been criticizing O’Malley in the press more and more lately, and it’s the primary reason rumors abound about a gubernatorial campaign – along with Duncan’s lack of a clear answer on whether or not he is running, of course.
Courtesy of the Washington Post
The rivalry between O’Malley and Duncan goes all the way back to the 2006 race for the governor’s seat, when the two faced off for the Democratic nomination in what was shaping up to be a well-matched fight. Duncan, then Montgomery County Executive, accused O’Malley of “cooking the books” to obtain a drop in crime during his term as mayor of Baltimore. O’Malley shot back by calling Duncan “desperate;” he had the lead in both campaign funds and in the polls.
The two also sparred over slots – O’Malley was no fan of legalized gambling as mayor of Baltimore, but he changed his position during his gubernatorial campaign. (Coincidentally or not, the Maryland Jockey Club gave $50,000 to the Democratic party during his campaign; Joseph A. De Francis, who heads the group, also has a minority share of the Pimlico and Laurel Park racetracks.) Duncan told the Baltimore Sun: “What I don’t understand is how someone like Marty O’Malley can stand up and say, ‘Slots are morally bankrupt, but I’m going to do everything I can to get them here in the state of Maryland. That’s an irresponsible position.”
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As you may recall, Duncan dropped out of the race on June 22, 2006 after a diagnosis of clinical depression, and the rest is history.
That is, until Duncan took the post at our fine university. As a state employee, he managed to keep quiet until September of last year when Duncan told reporters that the university system’s top lobbyist, former state senator P.J. Hogan, had relayed a message from the governor’s office directing Duncan to pull out of a political forum with Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. A statement issued by the university read: “Duncan recognizes now that he misinterpreted informal advice from a friend and colleague as an official directive. Duncan has apologized to Hogan for the misunderstanding.”
The Washington Post’s Ann Marimow reports:
Even so, Hogan said, the transition from politician to private citizen was probably difficult. For 12 years, Duncan was in charge of Maryland’s largest jurisdiction.
“You’re used to being asked by the press to comment on issues, and that’s not my job, nor is it Doug’s job,” said Hogan, who represented Montgomery County for 12 years.
Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert), a College Park alumnus and booster, said he thought Duncan chafed under the university system regime. Duncan has been a “CEO, mayor of Rockville and county executive,” he said, and “in the university system, you’ve got to deal with the hierarchy.”
Duncan resigned less than five weeks later.
And now here we are again: Duncan’s most recent biting criticism of O’Malley has to do with the release of a list of 300 endorsements from public officials supporting his reelection bid. “I think it frankly shows that they’re concerned and insecure,” Duncan told the Washington Post. He also suggested that O’Malley may have threatened legislators with budget cuts if they refused to endorse him.
But then again, nearly everyone from his home turf of Montgomery County signed.