Md. gubernatorial hopeful Gansler expected to announce support for raising minimum wage Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler (D) is expected to add his voice Friday to those calling for an increase in the state's minimum wage. Gansler, who has said he will announce his 2014 candidacy for governor next month, plans to appear Friday at the Gaithersburg headquarters of SEIU Local 500, a union that backs an increase in the next session of the Maryland legislature. Maryland lawmakers rejected legislation last session that would have raised the state's minimum wage to $10 by mid-2015 - significantly exceeding the $7.25 an hour mandated by federal law. "Clearly the time has come to raise the minimum wage here in Maryland," Gansler said in a statement Thursday to the Baltimore Sun. While the economy shows signs of recovery, too many working families are struggling. According to an advisory issued by Gansler's campaign, he will be joined Friday by union members and a representative from the campaign of Rep. John Delaney (D-Md.). Earlier this month, Delaney announced that he would draw upon personal funds to launch a campaign to raise the state's minimum wage in next year's legislative session. Delaney said the campaign would involve a grassroots component, digital ads and more traditional media, including television, as the start of the legislative session draws closer. In a speech this week, Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) called raising the minimum wage consistent with the work of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. An aide said he is considering whether to sponsor legislation in the upcoming session, which starts in January. Gansler also voiced support Thursday for cutting the state's corporate income tax to the same level as Virginia's.