Cardin Takes Flak for Forgoing NAACP-Sponsored Debate in Charles

Ehrlich and his running mate said in a statement yesterday that the nearly $2.9 million raised since their last campaign finance report in late August brought their total to $16.8 million. The campaign has $2.4 million in cash reserves.

O'Malley's $2.8 million brought his total to nearly $14 million for the election cycle, said O'Malley's communications director, Hari Sevugan. O'Malley will show a little more than $600,000 cash in hand, Sevugan said.

Sevugan said the campaign was not concerned about Ehrlich's significantly larger cash figure because O'Malley has already bought television time, the campaign's greatest expense, into the final week of the campaign

McKay Confirms He Has No U-Md. BA

Maryland State Senate candidate Thomas F. McKay (R) apologized yesterday for campaign literature that incorrectly said he has a bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland.

The St. Mary's County Commission president took classes at College Park from 1974 through 1979, according to the registrar, but did not receive a degree. Until yesterday, both county government and McKay's campaign Web sites contained identical biographies that said he received a bachelor's degree in business administration in 1979.

The same information appeared in The Washington Post's election guide before the September primary.

When asked about the discrepancy, McKay initially said he had earned a degree through University College, the university's program for nontraditional students. After the program's registrar said McKay had not graduated, the candidate confirmed that he did not have a degree.

McKay said that a mistake occurred when a county staff member updated his biographical information 1 1/2 years ago and that he did not review it before it was published. By yesterday evening, both Web sites had been changed.

"I take full responsibility," McKay said. "I honestly did not intend for this to happen, and I should have reviewed the materials."

Staff writer Megan Greenwell contributed to this report.