Paul Pinsky

Progressive Maryland has announced the first web-ad in its continued campaign to create a voluntary public campaign finance option by highlighting the influence of energy utilities in Annapolis.

The ad contends that campaign contributions to legislators by electricity companies have sustained the industry’s deregulation nine years, leading to a $1.15 billion windfall for them and an 85% increase for ratepayers. It specifically calls out Senate President Mike Miller and Senate Finance Committee Chair Thomas “Mac” Middleton, both Democrats, for receiving the largest amount of the utilities’ $1.1 million in contributions.

This web-ad was sent to 35,000 state activists and Progressive Maryland says more are on the way, to be accompanied by “tough” direct mail. On Wednesday, the group and Common Cause ran a full page ad in the Baltimore Sun.