The 2006 elections will be an exciting and important time for Maryland’s business community. In the coming months, the Chamber will be unveiling some election year resources, but why wait? Here’s a couple election news links for you political junkies.

• In Sunday’s Baltimore Sun, Fraser Smith looks ahead to this year’s elections.
• Dr. Larry J. Sabato, Director of the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics, looks at the gubernatorial races across the country. Of Maryland’s race, he says, “From 1969 to 2003 the Democrats had an uninterrupted stretch of one-party control of the governorship in Maryland, finally broken by GOP Congressman Bob Ehrlich. Governor Ehrlich has had a difficult term, especially given the overwhelming Democratic control of the General Assembly, and he has an equally difficult battle to win reelection. His Democratic opponent will probably be Baltimore Mayor Martin O’Malley, or possibly Montgomery County Executive Doug Duncan. As the incumbent, Ehrlich is a tissue-paper favorite, but there’s a reason so many Democrats won consecutively: This is a Royal-Blue State.”