Baltimore's Republican Party, which hasn't won a city office in 36 years, is recruiting candidates and raising money in hopes of taking advantage of unprecedented changes in the electoral map and calendar.
Republican officials said they believe that having a GOP governor in the statehouse, new single-member council districts and a peculiar 14-month lag between the primary and general election provides the party with its best chance in years to win a seat on the City Council.
The Baltimore City Republican Central Committee held a candidate recruitment meeting Thursday, but declined to reveal the names of potential candidates.
The day before, the group served as host for a fund-raiser with Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., who delivered a deft observance that expressed the party's weakness and its optimism.
"This is a Baltimore City Republican event, and we've run out of chairs?" Ehrlich said, evoking a round of applause and laughter.
Filling chairs at a fund-raiser, however, is no indication that the party can fill a ballot with Republican candidates in 17 races, especially in a city where 89 percent of the registered voters are Democrats.
"We will probably have a candidate in every council district," said Joseph Brown Jr., a state employee who lives in West Baltimore. He is seen by some as a leading candidate, but said he probably will not run. "My personal opinion is that we should be able to elect three to the council," he said.
The party also expects to support candidates for mayor, council president and comptroller.
Incumbent council members, all Democrats, have worried about Republican rivals since the council's configuration was changed this year from six three-member districts to 14 single-member districts.
The three-member districts rendered Democrats practically unbeatable because they ran on tickets, pooling their financial resources. Republicans ran solo because there were not enough candidates to form a ticket.
Now Democrats will be fighting each other on their own in the Sept. 9 primary. Republican candidates will likely face no challenges in the primary, giving them until the Nov. 2 general election next year to campaign and raise money. And if no Republicans file for the primary, election law gives the city's party the right to nominate candidates for the general election.
"They'll let the Democrats duke it out in the primary, and they will be waiting for us in the general election with all their money while we're spent-out," said Councilman Bernard C. "Jack" Young. "The city is still a hard place to get elected as a Republican."
Republicans say the new single-member districts, while potentially helpful, were drawn by Mayor Martin O'Malley and the council to diminish what they consider to be the few Republican strongholds from Southeast to Northeast Baltimore.
Robert Santoni Sr., owner of Santoni's Super Market and chairman of the Republican Central Committee, was considered a front-runner because he ran a strong race in 1999 in the 1st District in Southeast Baltimore. But the new map places him in a downtown and West Baltimore district where he says he has no chance.
"I would have to move if I want to run," said Santoni.
Del. Patrick L. McDonough, a Republican representing parts of Baltimore and Harford counties, said several other factors increase the GOP's chances of securing at least one seat on the council. The general election coincides with a presidential election, which improves turnout. And the new, smaller districts contain an average of 46,500 residents, making it easier to reach voters in a grass-roots campaign.
He also said Republican money will flow to city campaigns from throughout the state and that Ehrlich and Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele would campaign for city candidates.
"The party has to get serious about candidate recruitment," McDonough said.
Victor Clark Jr., a past chairman of the city Republican Central Committee, said the party has to be careful not to recruit candidates who are not registered party members. He said many such candidates simply look for cash handouts.
So far, only two people are running as Republicans for the council, Owen B. Hanratty and Brandon Katz. Neither is active in the local party, Clark said.
"We consider them walk-ons," Clark said. "But we don't want to turn them off. Our primary goal is to have all the slots filled."
