County Republicans

A FUNNY THING happened to Gail Bates on her way to assuming the Howard County Council seat being vacated by one of her closest political friends. She ran into a challenge from a longtime ally who has perhaps the most respected surname among county Republicans.Allan Kittleman's announcement last week that he would challenge Ms. Bates for the 5th District seat on the county legislative body is another sign of the growth of the Republican Party in a jurisdiction once dominated by Democrats.Until recently, only Democrats dueled in local primaries.

THIS IS A tough primary election for Howard County Republicans. With many good candidates, it's hard to choose. That's a far cry from years ago. Longtime party members recall when they would stand around the Board of Elections on filing day trying to decide at the last minute who would run for what. There were too few of them to seek every office.Democrats still constitute a majority in Howard, but the number of registered Republicans has grown. And many conservative Democrats vote Republican.

Candidates in two close Howard County Council primaries are anxiously awaiting a count of absentee ballots today that could determine their political fates, while county Republicans hope their popular gubernatorial candidate has coattails. Kenneth S. Ulman held a 40-vote lead over Mary Kay Sigaty in the unofficial election night tally for the Democratic contest in west Columbia, but several hundred absentee ballots remain to be counted. Ulman postponed a two-day rest at Bethany Beach, Del., to join Sigaty to watch today's count, which is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. "We did our best to send absentee applications to people who wouldn't be in town.

Showing that they want more moderate leadership, Carroll County Republicans voted out conservative county commissioners Robin Bartlett Frazier and Donald I. Dell last night while nominating a slate of three candidates led by former newspaper editor and columnist Dean L. Minnich. With all votes counted except for 1,042 absentee ballots, Minnich, three-term incumbent Julia Walsh Gouge and Union Bridge Mayor Perry L. Jones, one of the only black elected officials in Carroll County history, appeared to be on their way to securing their party's nomination.

County Republicans turned their annual Lincoln Day dinner last nightinto a celebration of the 1990 election, when the GOP had its best showing in recent memory.Sheriff Robert Pepersack and Clerk of theCircuit Court Mary M. Rose -- surprise winners last year -- were singled out as symbols of the Republican return from the political wilderness.They were presented with the first annual Marjorie Holt Party Builder Awards, named for the former congresswoman."These are the kind of people we want out there campaigning because they're the ones in touch with the voters, and the better they do, the better it reflects on the party itself," said Laura GreenTreffer, Anne Arundel CountyRepublican Central Committee chairwoman.

Masters of Howard County for most of this century, local Democrats have managed since 1990 to become the minority party in every phase of local politics except voter registration.Fragmented and bewildered, the county's Democrats nurse old hurts and harbor deep resentments, battling on unfamiliar ground. Once a bastion of liberalism, Howard has grown conservative -- and happy to elect Republicans.Howard Democrats blamed the 1990 ouster of most of their office-holders on anti-incumbent sentiment.

Two Howard County Council members, Republican Christopher J. Merdon and Democrat Ken Ulman, said yesterday that they are running for county executive next year -- both vying to become the county's youngest-ever top official. With two-term County Executive James N. Robey prevented by law from running again, Howard is likely to see a lively contest for the open executive's seat. A second Democrat, political novice Harry Dunbar, 61, announced earlier as a slow-growth advocate, and more candidates may join the race.

Underdog optimism: Even though Republicans greatly outnumber Democrats in Carroll County, the county's underdogs maintained a buoyant attitude as they gathered to watch the early returns at Johanssons Dining House in Westminster on Tuesday night. "I was so impressed by the Democratic Party in Carroll County," said Anita Riley, an Eldersburg resident and president of the South Carroll Democratic Club. "It's an uphill battle for Democrats in Carroll County. ... But they have their act together.

With former Republican Del. John J. Bishop set to file Monday to run against Baltimore County Executive C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger, local backers of Republican Ellen R. Sauerbrey worry that Bishop's challenge could hurt her campaign for governor.The concern, they say, is that an active challenge to the Democratic county executive could energize Ruppersberger's organization -- and increase overall Democratic turnout in Baltimore County, seen as a key battleground in the race for governor."I think you should let sleeping dogs lie -- he's the kind of guy that if you get him riled up, he'll campaign pretty hard," warned County Councilman T. Bryan McIntire, a north county-Owings Mills Republican running unopposed for re-election -- with Ruppersberger's support.

Panel cautions county to borrow no more than $50 million An advisory committee has recommended that Howard County borrow no more than $50 million next fiscal year, a $7 million increase from last year that members hope would balance the desire for fiscal restraint with the need for new schools, road repairs and other construction projects. The Spending Affordability Advisory Committee's figure, unveiled Monday, was in the middle of the range that members considered. County Executive James N. Robey said $50 million "is about my limit" but noted that he might exceed the recommendation by a few million if essential projects require it. Though they want to see the wish list, county Republicans have misgivings about the recommendation to borrow $50 million.