With all deference to former Gov. Bob Ehrlich, I find his comments, through his spokesman and published in The Gazette ["Ehrlich might take heart from Massachusetts vote," Jan. 22], to be inaccurate.

Having door-knocked for Scott Brown and then witnessing his victory in Massachusetts firsthand, I know that an independent candidate, free from machine politics, can and will win against any Democrat or Republican in any state, including Maryland.

In fact, President Obama admitted as much during a post-election interview when he stated, "the same voters that voted for me, voted for Scott Brown."

Ehrlich saying that Barbara Mikulski is no Martha Coakley is also not accurate. Both officials are lifelong politicians, both are beholden to machine politics and both stand for higher taxes, greater governmental spending, amnesty for illegal immigrants and a federal takeover of the health care industry. And both are/were well-liked.

Scott Brown's reputation for listening to voters, his record of fighting for open, transparent and accountable government and his campaign theme of "we can do better" resonated with independent, Democratic and Republican voters alike.

In my campaign for United States Senate, as I go door to door and event to event, I am finding a similar response — Maryland voters want elected officials that will listen to them and that will then act in their best interest, not the machine's best interest.

Maryland voters believe that "their" United States Senate seat, afforded to "them" by the Constitution, does not belong to Barbara Mikulski or to any one political machine or party ... it belongs to "them," the people.

My candidacy for U.S. Senate, like Scott Brown's, gives Marylanders a chance to once again have their voices heard in Congress.

I am hopeful that Bob Ehrlich might reconsider his comments given this firsthand accounting from both Massachusetts and Maryland, and perhaps have the evidence he needs to run for governor — a decision that I would support.

Eric Wargotz, Queenstown

The writer is a member of the Queen Anne's County board of commissioners and a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate.