Democratic Gov. Martin O'Malley leads Republican ex-Gov. Bob Ehrlich by 9 percentage points in a hypothetical rematch, reports the Baltimore Sun.

In a telephone survey of 816 likely voters, conducted between January 13 and January 17 by Gonzales Research, O'Malley was the choice of 48 percent of likely voters, compared with 39 percent for Ehrlich.

The survey had an error margin of 3.5 percentage points.

Compare those results to the polling from September.

CQ Politics currently rates the Maryland governor's race Safe Democratic.

To follow all the 2010 gubernatorial contests, check out our election map.

As a group, the Blue Dog Coalition of fiscally conservative Democrats may be the most vulnerable House incumbents in the 2010 election. But they are getting an assist from the Blue Dog political action committee, which handed out the most contributions of any politician-controlled PAC through November 2009, according to CQ MoneyLine.

The Blue Dog PAC has made $635,000 in donations thus far this cycle, $500,000 of which went to members of the coalition and their PACs. The rest went to home state party committees of a number of Blue Dogs, including many facing competitive re-election contests, and to one House candidate, Polk County Supervisor of Elections Lori Edwards, who is running for the open seat in Florida's 12th district.

The PAC's money came largely from other political committees -- it reported $1.3 million in receipts through Nov. 30, $1.2 million of which came from PACs. The majority of donors to the Blue Dog PAC were trade association and corporate political committees, many of which have also given thousands of dollars to Blue Dog members individually.

The National Republican Congressional Committee on Monday accused Rep. Frank Kratovil (D), a former Queen Anne's County States Attorney, of being soft of crime to the point that he put residents of his Eastern Shore-based district at risk.

NRCC spokesman Andy Sere pointed to the case of Dontell Lamont Guy, a violent offender who twice came before Kratovil on various assault, gun and drug charges and is now on Queen Anne's County wanted lists. Sere said Kratovil's "criminal-coddling" was the reason Guy didn't receive a tougher sentence when he came through court system in 2004 and 2008. Sere speculated that Kratovil was too busy campaigning in 2008 to pursue a harsher sentence and said that's why Guy is on the run today.

The release may be the first shot in a "soft on crime" offensive against Kratovil, who won one of the closest races of the 2008 cycle and faces a tough rematch against state Sen. Andy Harris (R). Republicans say they have at least 10 more cases in which a criminal whom Kratovil dropped charges against has re-offended since the end of the last campaign.

Kratovil spokesman Kevin Lawlor called the NRCC release a rehash of a failed GOP campaign tactic that Harris tried to employ last cycle.

The National Republican Congressional Committee on Monday accused Rep. Frank Kratovil (D), a former Queen Anne's County States Attorney, of being soft of crime to the point that he put residents of his Eastern Shore-based district at risk.

NRCC spokesman Andy Sere pointed to the case of Dontell Lamont Guy, a violent offender who twice came before Kratovil on various assault, gun and drug charges and is now on Queen Anne's County wanted lists. Sere said Kratovil's "criminal-coddling" was the reason Guy didn't receive a tougher sentence when he came through court system in 2004 and 2008. Sere speculated that Kratovil was too busy campaigning in 2008 to pursue a harsher sentence and said that's why Guy is on the run today.

The release may be the first shot in a "soft on crime" offensive against Kratovil, who won one of the closest races of the 2008 cycle and faces a tough rematch against state Sen. Andy Harris (R). Republicans say they have at least 10 more cases in which a criminal whom Kratovil dropped charges against has re-offended since the end of the last campaign.

Prince George's County State's Attorney Glenn Ivey (D) is forming an exploratory committee in the coming days for a possible primary challenge to Maryland 4th district Rep. Donna Edwards (D).

Ivey, a former senior staffer on Capitol Hill who was appointed chairman of the Maryland Public Service Commission by former Maryland Gov. Parris Glendening (D), is a well-known figure in Prince George's politics who was also viewed as a possible contender for the county executive post.

Ivey said he has a desire to return to Capitol Hill where he worked in the 1980's and 1990's.

The campaign of state Sen. Andy Harris (R) on Friday circulated an internal poll showing Rep. Frank Kratovil (D) down by double digits in a hypothetical rematch of their 2008 race in Maryland's Eastern Shore based 1st district.

Harris earned 52 percent to Kratovil's 39 percent with just 10 percent undecided according to a survey of 300 likely 1st district voters. The poll, which was conducted Nov. 15 - 17 for Harris' campaign by the Tarrance Group, had a 5.8 point margin of error.

In further bad news for the freshman Congressman the survey found that just 29 percent of voters said they believe Kratovil deserves to be re-elected. Twenty-three percent were unsure and 49 percent believed a new person deserved a chance.

Kratovil defeated Harris by less than 3,000 votes in one of the closest elections of the 2008 cycle. This year, Harris is back for a rematch and has the support of much of the state and national party establishment. Still Harris may not have the primary field to himself. Wealthy state Sen. E.J. Pipkin (R), who was involved in a nasty three-way primary with Harris last cycle, is rumored to be considering making another run at the nomination.

Republican Andy Harris is getting help from big-name party operatives as he builds his campaign bankroll for a rematch against freshman Rep. Frank Kratovil Jr. in Maryland.

On Wednesday, Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, who is a former Maryland lieutenant governor, will head to the Eastern Shore for a $250-per-head event in Chestertown.

Then, on Dec. 2, Republican Study Committee Chairman Tom Price of Georgia is heading to Cambridge, Md., to headline a $125-per-person reception for Harris.

Virginia Republican Rep. Eric Cantor, the House Minority Whip and one of the GOP's most potent fundraisers, used his leadership PAC last month to donate mostly to Republican candidates who are challenging Democratic incumbents in the 2010 election.

Cantor's organization, known as Every Republican Is Crucial (ERIC) PAC, reported Monday that it donated $2,500 apiece to five GOP challengers about whom the congressman and other national party officials are bullish.

They are Andy Harris of Maryland, a state senator challenging Rep. Frank Kratovil Jr. in a rematch of their close 2008 race in the 1st District; Martha Roby of Alabama, a Montgomery city councilwoman who is taking on Rep. Bobby Bright in the 2nd District; Steve Pearce of New Mexico, a former House member who lost a Senate race in 2008 and is seeking to reclaim his old 2nd District seat, now held by Rep. Harry Teague; Steve Stivers of Ohio, who is waging a rematch campaign against Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy in the Columbus-area 15th District; and Van Tran of California, an assemblyman who is taking on Rep. Loretta Sanchez in the 47th District.

While members of Congress are home for recess, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) is using a $2.5 million ad campaign to boost the health care records of several potentially vulnerable House Democrats.

Television commercials began running June 27 in six members' home districts and will air for two weeks. Accompanying mailers were also sent to voters.

"On health care there are two sides of the coin. On one side, do nothing. On the other, move forward- like Congressman Jim Himes, who's making real progress on reform," said the voiceover in one targeted television ad. The commercial continues by crediting Himes for expanding coverage for children, veterans, and protecting Medicare.