Perry Takes Aim at Maryland in Latest Campaign

Gov. Rick Perry is taking aim at Maryland and its business climate — his latest effort to lure out-of-state companies to Texas.

In a radio advertisement, Perry slams Gov. Martin O’Malley, a Democrat who is considering a presidential bid in 2016, for turning Maryland into a “tax and fee state” with “some of the highest taxes in America.”

“When you grow tired of Maryland taxes squeezing every dime out of your business, think Texas,” Perry says in the minute-long spot, according to WTOP, a local radio station that serves the Baltimore and Washington, D.C., areas.

In a statement released by O’Malley’s office, the Maryland governor touted the state's achievements under his leadership, including a 2012 U.S. Chamber of Commerce ranking as the top state for innovation and entrepreneurship. 

“Instead of engaging in PR stunts, Gov. Perry should come to Maryland to see firsthand the better choices that have led to these better results,” O'Malley's office said in the statement.

It’s a sentiment that echoes the response Perry received from Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon last month. Leading up to his visit to that state, Perry launched similar radio advertisements, which Nixon called “misleading attacks.”

Perry’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Similar advertisements, paid for by the Texas Economic Development Corporation, also ran in Illinois, California and New York. They criticized those states — all led by Democrats — for what Perry called over-taxation and overbearing regulations.

Perry’s efforts are aimed at courting businesses from other states. Over his tenure, he has relied on state business incentive funds from the Texas Enterprise Fund and the Emerging Technology Fund to provide deal-closing tax incentives.