By Phillip Caston
Capital News Service
Friday, Sept. 13, 2002

ANNAPOLIS -- Democrats say U.S. Rep. Robert Ehrlich is trying to fulfill his goal of attracting the African-American vote to his gubernatorial campaign by buying it.

That's "goofy," says Ehrlich.  

The Maryland Democratic Party this week accused Ehrlich of trying to "buy" Desiree Dodsen, an African-American Democrat who lost the state senatorial primary in Baltimore Tuesday to Ralph Hughes.  

Ehrlich denied anyone from his campaign contacted Dodson, and Ehrlich campaign spokesman Paul Schurick "guaranteed" no one from Ehrlich's team
contacted her. In fact, he said, he'd never heard of her.

But Democratic Party spokesman David Paulson said the tactic is "typical of Republicans."

"They pull out their checkbook and they think they can buy anything," Paulson said.

Two weeks before the primary, an Ehrlich campaign worker approached
her, Dodson said, offering to swap endorsements and campaign door-to-door
together. The worker said she would receive money for her campaign, Dodson said.

"It was tempting," Dodson said, who lost to Hughes by 7,815 votes. "I was honored to be thought of that way by them."  

Dodson rejected the offer, she said, because she talked to many constituents who would not vote for a candidate connected to Ehrlich.  

"It's nothing personal against Bob Ehrlich," Dodson said. "I have nothing bad to say about him personally. I think he's a good man."  

Had she taken the offer, Dodson said, she would have had a better chance at winning, because the Ehrlich connection could have boosted her name recognition. Now that she's lost, she said, she's still not sure she would take the offer.

The purported Dodson overture aside, Ehrlich is doing all he can to win black votes.

Ehrlich exchanged support with African-American Sen. Clarence Mitchell IV, D-Baltimore, who lost the primary to Delegate Verna Jones, D-Baltimore. This year, Democrats for Ehrlich donated $3,391.13 to Friends of Clarence M. Mitchell  IV, according to the Maryland State Board of Elections.  

That GOP backing cost Mitchell the race, Paulson said. But other factors may have been at work. Mitchell threatened to leave the Democratic Party earlier this year in a dispute over redistricting. "Senator Mitchell is a friend. He had the guts to come out against the establishment early on," Ehrlich said. "This establishment likes to punish, and they're very clear about it. If you cross them, you get hit hard."

Ehrlich also backed the Rev. John Heath, an African-American Republican candidate for delegate in Baltimore, who was unopposed in Tuesday's primary, and he chose Michael Steele, an African-American former head of the Maryland  Republican Party, as his running mate.  

"We're going to continue doing the things we've been doing to win their vote," Ehrlich said. "We're willing to show up to debates and engage in conversation about issues with African-American groups. We're very comfortable operating outside our comfort zone."  

African-American voters won't be fooled in November, Paulson said. 

"His actions in Congress have taken money out of the inner cities and hurt both blacks and whites," Paulson said. "You can't cover that up with a handshake and a smile."

Copyright © 2002 University of Maryland College of Journalism