The Carroll Standard

Murphy Thanks Supporters, Wishes Ehrlich Well, Chides GOP

Crofton, MD - Last evening, Brian Murphy, Republican Candidate for Governor of Maryland, was defeated by Robert Ehrlich in the Republican Gubernatorial Primary. Today, Murphy issued the following statement:

"This was a long, hard, uphill battle. But the battle was worth fighting, and I was honored to do it. I'd like to thank my wife, Joy, my family, my running mate, Mike Ryman, and his wife, Peggy, and our staff, volunteers and supporters for their dedication, encouragement, and prayers.

"I entered the race because I am a fiscal conservative, and Marylanders cannot afford higher taxes or fees. Bob Ehrlich has pledged not to raise either, and so he has my full support in the General Election against Martin O'Malley.

"From the onset we knew this would be a difficult race. But I would be remiss should I fail to admit my disappointment in the way my own party treated my candidacy and my supporters. All we expected was a fair and honest race, based on ideas and principles. But the actions of the Maryland GOP and the RNC prevented that from happening. Now that the Primary is over, I sincerely hope their actions did not further divide the party and will not discourage other qualified candidates from putting their name on the line and participating in this process.

"Joy and I don't know what the future holds for us, but we will always cherish our memories from this campaign. We were honored to sacrifice so much for this worthy cause, but we now look forward to some much deserved time with our young family.

"May God bless you all, and may God continue to bless the great state of Maryland."