BALTIMORE (AP) - Texas Gov. Rick Perry is launching ads against Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley.
WTOP said Wednesday the ads are set to begin airing in the D.C. region this week. Perry, a Republican, urges Maryland businesses to move to Texas, if they are tired of Maryland taxes.
Similar ads have been aired in California, Illinois, Missouri, New York and Connecticut.
O'Malley, a Democrat, on Wednesday dismissed the ads as a "tired old PR gimmick."
O'Malley's office later released a statement highlighting strong reports on Maryland schools and a top rating by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce naming Maryland the best state in the nation for innovation and entrepreneurship for two years in a row. O'Malley's office said Perry should come to Maryland to see firsthand the choices that led to those results.