Gun control advocates are hoping to make Rep. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.'s record on firearms legislation a key issue in the governor's race, beginning with a rally today outside his campaign headquarters.
Members of Marylanders Against Handgun Abuse and others say that Ehrlich, the leading Republican gubernatorial candidate, has acted much like a spokesman for the National Rifle Association with his longtime opposition to tougher gun laws.
They point to his vote as a state delegate against a bill to ban Saturday-night specials, and a later vote in Congress to repeal a national assault weapons ban.
"He's not at all about preventing gun crime," said Ginni Wolf, executive director of MAHA and an organizer of today's rally. "His stance is the NRA stance."
But Ehrlich says he and such critics have a philosophical disagreement on how to address gun violence. While gun control advocates want more restrictions on gun use, he says he wants to punish the illegal use of guns.
"My focus has always been on keeping guns out of the hands of criminals," Ehrlich said. "We all want the same thing. How we get there is very different. They simply don't like guns."
Democrats hope his position will hurt him in the governor's race because polls have shown that most Marylanders favor tougher gun laws. Gun control will likely be debated in a campaign in which Ehrlich and Democrat Kathleen Kennedy Townsend have sharply differing views.
Michael Morrill, a spokesman for Townsend, declined to make the lieutenant governor available for comment for this article, saying she was not associated with today's rally. But he said she strongly supports Maryland's ban on Saturday-night specials and the state and federal bans on assault weapons.
As part of Gov. Parris N. Glendening's administration, Townsend has been a vocal advocate for gun control as a prevention tool. In a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans almost 2 to 1, that position has been well received.
"Maryland with its progressive tendencies must be considered one of the most pro-gun control states in the country," said pollster Keith Haller of Potomac Inc. "The NRA is not a well-liked organization in Maryland."
Wolf and other gun control advocates want to publicize Ehrlich's record. Three weeks ago, they sent him a letter asking him to state his current position on gun control and to renounce his support of the NRA.
