Is Ehrlich a RINO, or an actual conservative? Was the Democrat he was against mired in scandal in the last election? (I can't see how a truly conservative Republican can win in liberal Maryland without some other help)
Ehrlich seems to be an actual conservative. He ran against Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, a seriously feather-headed Kennedy with lots of problems of her own.
I would describe Ehrlich as a Rudy Guiliani conservative, which is about as conservative you can be and still get elected statewide in Maryland. His strongest attribute as a politician is his straightforwardness... whether you agree or disagree with him, you always know where he stands.
The democrat he defeated in '02 was Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, the sitting Lt. Gov. at the time. She considered the election a mere formality on the way to her coronation.