Former Marlyland Governor Bob Ehrlich joins GOP race.
Former Marlyland Governor Bob Ehrlich announcing his candidacy in a rally in Baltimore, MD.
Thank you all my friends. Thank you.
Our country is facing a lot of problems and I think that do something to solve our problems it's a duty of all the people of the United States of America. I do not pull back. Today, I announce my candidacy for the presidency of the United States of America.
I'm Bob Ehrlich. I served the people of Maryland as a United States Representative from 1995 to 2003 and then as Governor from 2003 to 2007. So, I do not miss the experience to be the next President of the United States. During my term as Governor and during my campaigns I hold a lot of events across Maryland and I've maintained a special bond with the people of my state. I'm ready to do the same during my presidential campaign. I will travel all across our beautiful country and I look forward to discuss the issues facing our nation and have spirited debates with my fellow republicans on how solve it.
I consider myself as a new kind of republican and the people that I met agree with me. If you take a look at my record as Governor, and I will speak of it in moments, you will find a new kind of republican, different from the other candidates in the GOP field. And I think that if we want to win again, we don't need an extreme candidate, but we need a common-sense republican that is able to speak of the issues facing our country and able to get support from all sides. That's why I was elected Governor in Maryland, a deep-blue state.
When I will be President, combat our enemies, fiscal responsibility, education, health, environment, public safety and commerce will be the pilars of my administration.
As during my years as Governor of Maryland, I will oppose income tax increases.
When I will be President, I'll take all the necessary actions in order to defeat ISIS, that is a scourge of the Middle East and also I will defend our allies all around the world.
Today, the word "government" is a synonym of Washington. It's a synonym of a group of people out of touch with reality, with our people's matters. If I will be elected, government will be a synonym of people, because the government will work again for all our workers, for our students and for all americans.
I'd like to speak of my record as Governor. Under my tenure, Maryland stayed 0.5% or more below the national unemployment average. The unemployment rate dropped from 4.5% in 2003 to 3.9% in 2006 and also there was an increase of 98,000 private sector jobs.
Education is important and during my term, I endorsed a plan granting extra money to poorer school systems and to schools in areas with a higher cost of living. During my administration, I oversaw the opening of the first public charter school in the state and 45 new schools were constructed, and more than 50 schools were fully renovated. Also I invested record funding in Maryland community colleges and in public historically black colleges.
In my cabinet, I established a new position for people with disabilities: the Secretary of Disabilities, that became the first cabinet-level disabilities office in the nation and I'm ready to do it again during my presidency.
And what about environment? I signed and act that helped reduce pollution discharge. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation described this act as the most significant piece of legislation for the Bay in a generation. And I'm proud of it.
During my term, I valutued each request for clemency on a case-by-case basis and I was nationally recognized for my progressive approach that helped free wrongly convicted defendants.
I'm the new kind of republican that our party needs to win and that our nation needs to rise again. So, please join me in this adventure. With our heart, with our commitment, we will do great things for our nation.
Thank you all! God bless you and God bless the United States of America!
