Duncan campaign gains steam

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Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan's gubernatorial campaign has gained significant momentum in the past month that he needs to sustain through the September primary.

"The earth's shaking," Stuart O. Simms, Mr. Duncan's running mate, said Friday at an event in Laurel where seven local unions endorsed the Duncan ticket.

Mr. Duncan called the endorsements "a reflection behind the momentum of our campaign."

His opponents say his momentum is temporary.

"I really think he's a sinking ship right now," said District Heights Mayor James L. Walls Jr., who is also president of the Maryland Black Caucus.

Mr. Walls supported Mr. Duncan last summer but shifted his allegiance in late August to Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley, the Democratic front-runner.

Mr. Duncan has lagged Mr. O'Malley in polls and fundraising from the beginning.

In mid-April, a poll from Gonzales Research & Marketing Strategies showed Mr. Duncan nine percentage points behind Mr. O'Malley. The poll showed that 44 percent of voters supported Mr. O'Malley and 35 percent backed Mr. Duncan.

Duncan campaign staffers hailed the poll because it showed they had cut Mr. O'Malley's lead in half, from about 20 points to single digits.

A few days later, Progressive Maryland, one of the state's most active and liberal grass-roots lobbying and political-action groups, endorsed Mr. Duncan.