Republican Primary

A small band of renegade Republicans defected to the Democrat in the governor's race yesterday, drawing some unfriendly fire from the GOP camp.About a dozen business executives, politicians and others gathered outside the World Trade Center to endorse Democrat Parris N. Glendening, praising him as a pro-business moderate. Several also took their own party's candidate, Ellen R. Sauerbrey, to task for her plan to cut state income taxes by 24 percent over four years."I do not believe that the way to move Maryland forward is to cut local school and police aid or to raise local property taxes," said Kenneth A. Yowan, president of the Westminster City Council.

The anti-incumbent gale that blew through the Harford County elections four years ago was imperceptible in this week's primaries.Six of the seven County Council incumbents are still alive for the November contest, the seventh declining to seek re-election. Still, there will be at least two new council members in the next term, as incumbents Joanne Parrott and Theresa Pierno battle each other for the chair of retiring Council President Jeffrey D. Wilson.In the state legislature races, all Harford incumbents survived the primaries, most of them without opposition.

Pasadena businessman Thomas Redmond, who has waged nearly a two-year campaign for County Council, led his closest opponent by almost 20 percent in the Democratic primary last night.Mr. Redmond had received 55 percent of the vote, compared with 34 percent for A. Shirley Murphy, with 100 of 155 precincts counted. Elmer Dunn Jr. had 11 percent.Mr. Redmond's apparent victory sets up a Nov. 8 general race against 3rd District incumbent Carl G. "Dutch" Holland. Mr. Holland was holding a 58 percent to 25 percent lead over his nearest opponent, businessman Romie A. Songer.

Dark horse Del. Ellen R. Sauerbrey won the Republican gubernatorial nomination yesterday, trouncing Rep. Helen Delich Bentley throughout Maryland while Democrats handed an overwhelming victory to Prince George's County Executive Parris N. Glendening.The turnout appeared to be somewhat above 35 percent overall. The general election will be held Nov. 8.Mrs. Sauerbrey, who billed herself as the truest Republican in the race and who called Mrs. Bentley a tool of Democratic Gov. William Donald Schaefer, rode to triumph on calls for deep tax cuts and tough criminal sanctions.

During the decade of the 1980s, I served in former President Ronald Reagan's Cabinet as U.S. trade representative and as secretary of labor. My responsibilities included opening new markets for American products, stopping unfair trade practices that cost America jobs and improving education and training so we could create more and better jobs.We did create jobs -- 18 million new jobs. The Canadian trade agreement I initiated, for example, created over 7,000 jobs in Maryland alone. In addition, we cut taxes, stopped inflation, reduced interest rates and helped start and sustain the longest peacetime expansion in American history.

It's this year's ''stealth election.'' No one seems to know much about it. And yet, come Sept. 13, Maryland's 670,000 Republicans will have to choose a candidate -- for the United State Senate, no less.You would think such an office would draw the cream of state Republicans. There is no higher federal office to run for in Maryland. And yet, the three GOP candidates who did file are virtual unknowns in this state. Their political experience in this state is minimal.Ruthann Aron has never run for office before.

Westminster attorney Francis X. Walsh announced this week that he is running as a Republican for a District 5 House of Delegates seat "to counteract liberal pressures" in Annapolis.Mr. Walsh, 55, switched to the Republican Party last year. This will be his fourth try for state office and his first as a Republican."Carroll County needs a strong voice in Annapolis to counteract the continual liberal pressures for more spending on existing and new programs," he said in a written statement."I will fight against the continual liberal pressures for increasing taxes to support those programs."

The second pro-Clarence Thomas senator goes before voters next Tuesday. He is Arlen Specter, a Pennsylvania Republican. Democratic Sen. Alan Dixon of Illinois faced the voters last month; he was upset by a little-known woman candidate, Carol Moseley Braun, who won in large part because of Senator Dixon's "yes" vote on the nomination. She got the "Anita Hill vote."If there really is such a vote. Pennsylvania's Republican primary could help confirm it. It is one thing for Democratic women to vote against a pro-Thomas senator, as apparently most of them did in Illinois.