Franchot, Simms win Sun Endorsements

The Baltimore Sun breaks with regional loyalties and endorses Peter Franchot for Comptroller over William Donald Schaefer and Janet Owens:

During his 20 years in the General Assembly, Mr. Franchot has risen from an obscure gadfly to a respected and outspoken chairman of a House Appropriations subcommittee. He has a strong grasp of budget intricacies and an appetite to shed light on corporate income tax loopholes. Mr. Franchot is no wallflower, and if he can curb his enthusiasm for straying into matters of policy beyond the scope of the comptroller's office, he will be a strong advocate for the interests of the taxpayer both on and off the Board of Public Works.

Stu Simms also gets the newspaper's backing in the Attorney General's race, citing his legal experience as trumping Doug Gansler's media savvy -- though isn't Franchot usually criticized for being a media hound as well? In any case, assuming newspaper endorsements make much of difference -- a big assumption -- this will be a needed boost for Simms, along with Tom Perez' endorsement. I think either would do well in the AG's office, and while I've nodded in Gansler's direction, I probably won't commit until I get my absentee ballot in the mail.

UPDATE: Bruce Godfrey: "This is major. Owens is ahead of Schaefer and Franchot according to one recent poll. Franchot is quite well funded, though. Schaefer getting the nod should be automatic were he anything but a walking insult comic dog."

Tags: Maryland, attorney general, comptroller, William Donald Schaefer, Janet Owens, Peter Franchot, Doug Gansler, Stu Simms, Tom Perez