Forget Red state vs. Blue state. For governors, the split that’s in vogue this season is between those who offered “Christmas” wishes and those who sent “holiday” tidings in their greeting cards.

A Stateline.org survey found that 37 of the 50 state leaders — 18 Democrats and 19 Republicans — sent wishes for a happy — nameless — holiday. Nine governors — two Democrats and seven Republicans — were explicit in wishing the joy of “Christmas.”

In the “bah, humbug” category are the governors of Minnesota, Nevada and New Mexico; they did not send official cards at all.

Overall, the most prolific card sender was Maryland’s Republican Governor Robert Ehrlich. He dropped 40,000 greetings in the post box — 12,500 more than Democrat Governor Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania — though several thousand doubled as invitations to an open house. The shortest mailing list belongs to Governor John Hoeven, a Republican from North Dakota. The only people who received official cards from him were 287 members of the North Dakota National Guard on active duty in Iraq and Germany or headed to Afghanistan.

White House card sparks controversy

The distinction between Christmas and holiday cards came to the fore this year when President Bush’s card — which featured a snow-draped White House with no holiday bunting — was drubbed by conservative activists who claimed the president gave in to political correctness by failing to mention “Christmas.”

At least a dozen governors — including eight with generic holiday greetings — mixed in a dose of religion. The card from Republican Governor Sonny Perdue of Georgia — fronted by a seasonally insignificant modern-art portrait of him and the first lady — had the most deeply religious inscription that still failed to mention Christmas.

1 card mentions Christ

Only one — Governor Bob Riley, a Republican from Alabama — named “the risen Christ,” whose birth is celebrated on Dec. 25. A card sent by Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, a Republican and former Baptist minister, pictured the baby Jesus in a crèche — on the back was Mrs. Huckabee’s brisket recipe — and mentioned Christmas four times, as well as “our Savior’s birth,” and the “Messiah.”

While secular, other cards didn’t ignore the traditional symbols of Christmas. California’s card steered clear of saying “Merry Christmas” but featured a colorful, decorated fir tree hand-painted by GOP Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Likewike, Pennsylvania’s Democrat Governor Ed Rendell, who is Jewish, went with a “Season’s Greetings” but pictured a decorated tree and “stockings … hung by the chimney with care.” His photo on the back, though, was dated Christmas 2005.

Pets, family photos prove popular

The cost of greeting cards and mailing generally is covered by a governor’s campaign or other privately raised funds. Governors or their spouses often choose the card’s design and message and personalize it in a number of ways. Some highlights:

Family photos were the most popular feature, but at least eight governors included a photo of pet dogs. Kentucky’s Republican Governor Ernie Fletcher and Democrat Michigan Governor Jennifer Grahholm included paw prints from the first pooch.

“God Bless Mississippi,” GOP Governor Haley Barbour declared inside a card featuring a photo of him and the first lady viewing Hurricane Katrina destruction. He added an eerily appropriate quote from Jeremiah in the Old Testament: “There is hope for your future, says the Lord. Your children will come again to their own land.” He never says Merry Christmas, though the card is dated “Christmas 2005.”

Mr. Schwarzenegger sent 200-minute phone cards along with his holiday greeting to 5,200 state National Guard members serving overseas. An additional 4,500 state employees and supporters received cards that say: “As our holiday gift to you, a phone card has been given to” guardsmen.

Besides Mr. Schwarzenegger, Tennessee’s Governor Phil Bredesen, a Democrat, also painted the picture that appears on his Christmas cards.

A high school sophomore made a picture of children caring for a “tree of peace” that fronted GOP Florida Governor Jeb Bush’s card, while an 8-year-old created “The Peaceful Blue Bird” on Oregon’s Democrat Governor Ted Kulongoski’s card.

Hawaii’s Governor Republican Linda Lingle, who is Jewish, chose her island state’s traditional “Mele Kalikimaka” — literally “Merry Christmas” — for her card.

While they didn’t mention “Christmas,” six governors — all Republican — printed a passage from Scripture: Jeb Bush of Florida, Sonny Perdue of Georgia, Matt Blunt of Missouri, Dave Heineman of Nebraska, Mike Rounds of South Dakota and Rick Perry of Texas.

The nine governors whose holiday mailings specifically carried a Christmas greeting were: Democrats Brad Henry of Oklahoma, Bredesen of Tennessee, and Republicans Riley of Alabama, Huckabee of Arkansas, Lingle of Hawaii, Mitch Daniels of Indiana, Fletcher of Kentucky, Ehrlich of Maryland and Hoeven of North Dakota.

A national poll released Dec. 15 shows more Americans prefer the greeting, “Merry Christmas,” to “Season’s Greetings” or “Happy Holidays” by a margin of 60 percent to 23 percent. But a 45 percent plurality says it doesn’t matter much either way, according to the survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, which like Stateline.org is supported by The Pew Charitable Trusts.

“We want it to be a holiday card so we don’t offend anyone,” First Lady Karen Baldacci of Maine told Stateline.org. “Elected officials are representative of all Americans, and not all Americans are Christian, white and Anglo-Saxon,” she said.

Writers Kathleen Hunter, Mark Matthews, Kavan Peterson, Joseph Popiolkowski and Dan Vock and intern Brian Kehrl contributed to this report. Contact Eric Kelderman at: ekelderman@stateline.org