Hundreds of politically savvy Marylanders are playing it safe by making campaign contributions to more than one candidate in the gubernatorial election, a telltale sign of a close race, experts say.
Steakhouse owners, concrete contractors and two nursing homes were among 189 donors who gave to both Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley and Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. Sixty-five gave to both Ehrlich and Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan.
Donors say they encourage a healthy political debate by spreading their largesse across the field of candidates, but critics argue the practice is about playing the odds - and the odds of giving to a winner are good for those who give to every candidate.
"They're covering both bets," said Donald F. Norris, a professor of public policy at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. "They don't want to be seen as favoring one over the other."
At least four companies and eight individuals gave to all three candidates, according to an analysis by The Sun of campaign finance reports filed with the state last month. At least 60 contributors, ostensibly unsure of whether O'Malley or Duncan will win the Democratic primary Sept. 12, gave to both men.
A political committee created by Constellation Energy, which owns the area's provider of electricity, Baltimore Gas and Electric Co., was the most generous. The group gave $4,000 to Ehrlich, $3,000 to O'Malley and $1,000 to Duncan.
Constellation gives freely to "encourage a robust debate," company spokesman Robert L. Gould said in a statement.
"To be clear though, the Constellation Energy [political action committee] does not endorse candidates," the statement read. "As for the three candidates for governor, all three - the mayor, the county executive and the governor - all share our interest and involvement in energy issues."
Big Steaks Management, which owns several Ruth's Chris steakhouses in Baltimore as well as the Blue Sea Grill near the Inner Harbor, gave $4,000 to O'Malley - the limit - and $2,000 to Ehrlich.
David Sadeghi, Big Steak's chief operating officer, said the company is paying close attention to a proposed statewide smoking ban, but he also said the company's varied support reflects the wide-ranging political opinions of its executives.
"We don't try to align ourselves too much politically," he said.
In all, 59 companies contributed to both Ehrlich and O'Malley last year, according to the analysis. That compares with only one, Annapolis Junction-based Corman Construction, that gave to both Ehrlich and Democrat Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend at this same point in the gubernatorial campaign four years ago.
The frequency of multiple campaign contributions this year underscores how much earlier the election has gotten under way, experts said. It also suggests that, in at least some cases, people don't yet know where the smart money lies.
"What that tells me is there are some folks out there who are interested in politics, probably politically savvy and connected, who are thinking this is going to be a tight race," said Norris, the public policy professor.
Both O'Malley and Duncan led Ehrlich in a poll conducted for The Sun in November, but some political experts say the governor's incumbency, along with the fact he faces no opposition in the primary election, will give him an advantage.
The disclosure statements - which cover a period from Jan. 13, 2005, to Jan. 11, 2006 - show Ehrlich raised nearly $5 million and had $8.4 million on hand; O'Malley raised $4.3 million, with $4.2 million in the bank; and Duncan collected about $1.3 million, with $1.4 million on hand. The next report is due Aug. 15.
Multiple contributions made up a small percentage of last year's record-breaking fundraising, but they came from a wide range of business interests and individuals.
Real estate developer Robert Freeze, for instance, gave $2,500 to both Ehrlich and O'Malley, records show. The Health Policy Leadership Alliance, an affiliate of the Maryland Hospital Association, contributed $3,000 to Ehrlich and $1,000 to O'Malley.
Nancy Fiedler, a spokeswoman for the association, said the alliance does not endorse candidates. So it intends to support all three equally and to the maximum allowed by law, which for a political action committee is $6,000 each.
She also said candidates will be invited to address the organization to explain their health care platforms.
Donors to multiple candidates include the Sandtown-Winchester Nursing Home in Baltimore, which gave $1,500 to Ehrlich and $500 to O'Malley, and American Paving Fabrics, an asphalt company in Hanover, which contributed $1,500 to Ehrlich and $3,250 to O'Malley.
More than a dozen double donors did not return calls seeking comment on an issue that is politically sensitive for some. Though no candidate made the claim publicly, some might argue that a $1,500 gift to Ehrlich, for instance, essentially cancels out half of a $3,000 contribution to O'Malley.
