George Perry Mahoney (December 16, 1901 – March 18, 1989) was an Irish American Catholic building contractor and Democratic Party politician from the State of Maryland.
Under Maryland Governor Herbert O'Conor (a fellow Irish American from Baltimore's 10th ward), Mahoney was appointed a member of the State Racing Commission, where he made a name for himself accusing the industry of fixing horse races by injecting horses with stimulants and narcotics.
Mahoney lost, but the bitter and divisive primary contest left the Lane campaign weakened for the general election against Republican Theodore McKeldin.
Mahoney ran for governor again in 1954, narrowly losing the Democratic primary to University of Maryland President Curley Byrd by 50.64% to 49.37%.
U.S. Representative Carlton R. Sickles (29.84%) and Attorney General of Maryland Thomas B. Finan (27.31%) split the vote and allowed Mahoney, who ran on an anti-open housing campaign, to triumph.
In the general election, Mahoney's slogan "Your home is your castle; protect it"[2] prompted Baltimore City Comptroller Hyman A. Pressman to enter the race as an Independent candidate.
Mahoney's controversial stances caused many liberals in the Maryland Democratic Party to split their support between Spiro Agnew, owing to his pro-civil rights, socially moderate views, and Pressman.
Democrat Daniel Brewster, who had been elected in 1962 to succeed the retiring Butler, was defeated by his former college roommate, liberal Republican Charles Mathias.