Murphy money remains modest following Palin nod

It turns out that Sarah Palin's endorsement of Maryland gubernatorial hopeful Brian Murphy had a pretty modest impact, at best, on his fundraising.

Murphy, who is running in the Republican primary against former governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R), reported raising only about $35,000 -- including $14,000 from himself -- during an 18-day period that started about a week after the surprising Palin endorsement and ended Aug. 29.

Murphy spent more than he raised during the period, leaving only $30,776 in the bank.

By contrast, Ehrlich reported raising more than $725,000 during the 18-day period -- more than 20 times what Murphy did. Ehrlich had about $2.5 million in the bank at the end of the period.

Gov. Martin O'Malley (D), meanwhile, reported having $6.5 million on hand when the period ended. He raised a reported $267,000 during the period.

With his latest contribution, Murphy, a 33-year-old business investor from Montgomery County, has now spent more than $132,000 of his own money on his campaign.