History against Ehrlich

A few days ago, Tom LoBianco filed an article on the continuing rivalry between Gov. Martin O'Malley and former Gov. Robert Ehrlich - that is, if you believe that a credible rivalry still exists.

O'Malley's people have given a firm, ‘No.' Spokesman Rick Abbruzzese publicly summed it up best when he said, "It was a fun campaign. It's over."

Ehrlich himself was less certain, as was Senate President Mike Miller.

But history is pretty clear cut on this one: no defeated incumbent governor has ever come back to win - any office.

Gov. TawesThe last non-incumbent to win the governorship after having already served in a statewide office was Democrat J. Millard Tawes in 1958. Tawes won four terms as Comptroller in 1938, 1942, 1950, and 1954. He lost the 1946 Democratic gubernatorial primary, making him the last person to lose a gubernatorial primary who later became governor.

Gov. McKeldinThe last to lose a general election race for governor and come back to win it was Tawe's predecessor, Republican Theodore McKeldin. He was the Republican gubernatorial nominee in four consecutive races, unsuccessfully in 1942 and 1946, and winning two terms in 1950 and 1954.