Franchot emphasizes his role as Md’s ‘fiscal watchdog’ in campaign video

Franchot emphasizes his role as Md’s ‘fiscal watchdog’ in campaign video

Comptroller Peter Franchot (Screenshot)

@BryanRenbaum

Comptroller Peter Franchot emphasized his role as Maryland’s “fiscal watchdog” in his first official campaign video for governor which was posted to Twitter on Tuesday morning.

“I’ve been your fiscal watchdog and a careful steward of our state’s finances. Now I’m running to be Maryland’s governor during a time of unprecedented crisis,” Franchot, who has been the state’s tax collector for 14 years, said in the roughly two minute video.

Franchot pledged to rebuild Maryland’s economy, which has taken a substantial hit due to the coronavirus pandemic. Franchot also pledged to support “fair wages” for Marylanders and to improve access to health care.

The video comes about a year after Franchot, a Democrat, signaled his intent to succeed popular GOP incumbent Gov. Larry Hogan. Hogan is term-limited and will leave office in Jan. 2023. Hogan is the first two-term Republican governor of Maryland since Theodore McKeldin in the 1950s. Hogan has not ruled out running for president in 2024.

Franchot is widely considered a fiscal moderate and enjoys a fairly good working relationship with Hogan. Both Hogan and Franchot sit on the state’s Board of Public Works along with Treasurer Nancy Kopp. The board’s authority includes the power to approve state contracts.

Franchot is thus far the state’s only declared 2022 gubernatorial candidate.

On Tuesday, Franchot also announced that his campaign has partnered with the political consulting firm Tidemore.

 

About The Author

Bryan Renbaum

Bryan@MarylandReporter.com

Reporter Bryan Renbaum served as the Capitol Hill Correspondent for Talk Media News for the past three-and-a-half years, filing print, radio and video reports on the Senate and the House of Representatives. He covered congressional reaction to the inauguration of President Donald Trump as well as the confirmation hearings of attorneys general Jeff Sessions and William Barr and Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. He also filed breaking news reports on the 2017 shooting of House Majority Whip Steve Scalise and three others. Previously Bryan broke multiple stories with the Baltimore Post-Examiner including sexual assault scandals at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and a texting scandal on the women’s lacrosse team at that school for which he was interviewed by ABC’s “Good Morning America.” He also covered the Maryland General Assembly during the 2016 legislative session as an intern for Maryland Reporter. He has a bachelor’s degree in political science from McDaniel College. If you have additional questions or comments contact Bryan at: bryan@marylandreporter.com