Baltimore homeless advocate Bea Gaddy dropped out of the race for U.S. Senate yesterday, one week after announcing she would run against Sen. Paul S. Sarbanes on a "platform of hope."

"I cannot run for a U.S. Senate seat at present, because it appears I have a conflict of interest as well as some difficulty raising the kind of money it would take to put me there," she said yesterday in a prepared statement.

The statement did not explain the conflict of interest, and she could not be reached later.

But her written statement did say that "launching a campaign of this nature would cost at least $500,000, and I do not have the benefit of that kind of monetary support at this time."

She also said her Patterson Park Emergency Food Center is busy developing new "transitional housing" for homeless people who are now working.

Ms. Gaddy ran unsuccessfully for City Council in 1991. She operates an East Baltimore homeless shelter and is known for her annual Thanksgiving dinner for the poor. Last year she served 20,000 meals at the holiday event.