A Winning Ticket? Lt. Gov. Brown Picks Ulman For Running Mate

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) — Democrats and Republicans, getting a jump on potential primary opponents, make key announcements Monday.

Political reporter Pat Warren takes a look at what voters can expect in the coming campaign year.

Hundreds of Democrats turned out to cheer Maryland's first declared gubernatorial candidate, Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown, as he declared Howard County Executive Ken Ulman as his running mate for a Brown-Ulman ticket in the 2014 race.

Deanna Peel is a Brown-Ulman supporter.

"We're Howard County, and we love Ken, and we think it's a great team," she said.

Durand Ford agreed.

"It's a great team. It's a winning team. We're really excited," he said.

Ulman's first grader, Lily,  wrote a letter to Brown last week. He read it to the crowd in Columbia, Howard County this morning.

"She wrote: 'Dear Mr. Anthony, you will be great at governor because you are great at lieutenant governor, and you are so nice. Love, Lily Ulman,'" Ulman said.

In Dundalk, Harford County Executive David Craig made his first campaign stop after announcing that he's a Republican candidate for governor.

Craig announced his candidacy in Havre de Grace this morning.

"When the politicians now seem to be more concerned about being rock stars and celebrities than being leaders, it's begun to affect us," he told a crowd in Dundalk.

Kathy Smero, of Baltimore County, is a Craig supporter.

"I just cannot wait to get this campaign off and running. He is the right man for the job," she said.

Any Republican can expect an uphill battle against the Democrats, but the Democratic Primary is a battlefield of its own.

Attorney General Doug Gansler is expected to enter the race and possibly Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger, among others.

"All races for governorship are competitive," Brown told WJZ after the announcement, "so Ken and I are going to speak to the issues. We're going to campaign in every community in every county around the state."

Brown-Ulman may be the first ticket to enter the Democratic Gubernatorial Primary, but it certainly won't be the last.

Maryland's primary is a year away, June 24, 2014.