In Maryland, Republicans look to next year's governor's race Part of their message has been that O'Malley has taken the state far outside of the mainstream, particularly on tax and spending issues. An unpopular increase in the gas tax is scheduled to take effect next month, and O'Malley has led several divisive and time-consuming battles over issues such as same-sex marriage, the death penalty and gun control. "The Republican brand is not particularly strong in Maryland, but I think a majority of people feel the state's on the wrong track, and that's an opportunity some candidate will have to take advantage of," said Larry Hogan, chairman of Change Maryland, a grass-roots organization that has kept a running tally of O'Malley tax increases. Hogan explored running for the GOP nomination in 2010 and has not ruled out a 2014 bid. Maryland has had only one Republican chief executive during the past generation - Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., whom O'Malley soundly defeated in 2006 after a single term - and Democrats enjoy a more than 2-to-1 edge in party registration in the state, an advantage that has grown since Ehrlich was in office. Democratic strategists say the Republican hopes in Maryland remain largely a pipe dream and are not too impressed with the way the GOP field is shaping up, even if Steele does get in. "Lightning would have to strike five or six times in the same place for any of these guys to get elected," said Mike Morrill, a veteran Democratic strategist who is not working for any of the 2014 gubernatorial candidates. Aside from Steele, the Republican hopefuls are little-known outside their home regions and have not demonstrated an ability to raise the kind of money needed to win a statewide race, Morrill said. The Democratic field is expected to include two better-funded, statewide officeholders, Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown and Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler, as well as Del. Heather R. Mizeur (Montgomery). Morrill also questioned the effectiveness of running against O'Malley's record, given he will not be on the ballot and there is no widespread clamoring to get rid of him. Forty-nine percent of voters approved of the job O'Malley is doing in a Washington Post poll published in March - a lukewarm number, but more than the number who disapproved (41 percent). While none of the Republicans have detailed their strategy for winning, they have suggested parts of the electorate where they think they can make inroads, including with African Americans and Democrats in Montgomery County who have no strong allegiance to the party.