The gubernatorial campaign of Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown is calling on challenger state Attorney General Doug Gansler to apologize for injecting race into the campaign.
The Baltimore Sun reports that Brown’s campaign manager charged that the attorney general has used race to divide people.
Gansler was overheard on a recording saying that Brown was running on the basis that he would become the first African American to become governor of the state.
He said Brown was telling voters, “Vote for me, I want to be the first African American Governor of Maryland” then he added that’s instead of what he has done.
Justin Schall, Brown’s campaign manager, said that Gansler had belittled the record of a war veteran who served in Iraq.
The campaign official said Gansler should apologize and “so we can move on.”
In an interview with the Sun Gansler said that no apology was necessary and that his words were misinterpreted.
And the remarks drew some sharp criticism within the state.
Montgomery County Council member Valarie Ervin, a Brown supporter, told the Sun that Gansler’s remarks will be very damaging among black voters.
Ervin called Ganler’s remarks hypocritical when at the same meeting the Attorney General said that his choice for a running mate at Lt. Gov. would an African American from Baltimore or Prince George’s County.