A group of Maryland Republican leaders will ask that outgoing U.S. Rep. Helen Delich Bentley step down as national committeewoman at the party's semiannual convention this weekend, citing her lack of support for Ellen R. Sauerbrey in the general election.
A nonbinding resolution calling for Mrs. Bentley to resign, signed by 14 of the state's 24 local Central Committee chairpersons, was sent to Maryland Republican Party headquarters late yesterday -- the deadline for submitting items to be taken up at the winter convention in Annapolis.
Mrs. Bentley, who lost to Mrs. Sauerbrey in the GOP gubernatorial primary and will not be returning to her 2nd District congressional seat, said yesterday she has no intention of leaving the committeewoman's post. Her stance creates the potential for an ugly and divisive floor fight at the convention when the measure is put to a vote.
"When they find somebody who's contributed as much as I have to the Republican Party of Maryland, then I'll consider it," Mrs. Bentley said, asserting that she has raised $9 million for the GOP over the years.
Mrs. Bentley cannot be forced from the position -- to which she was elected most recently in 1992 -- because the resolution is nonbinding and there are no provisions in the state party bylaws for ousting a national committee member, said Joyce L. Terhes, the state party chairwoman.
The only way Mrs. Bentley could lose her seat as national committeewoman, under the Republican National Committee's bylaws, is if she did not support the GOP nominee for president or vice president, Ms. Terhes said.
Allan H. Kittleman, chairman of the Howard County Central Committee, was the prime mover behind the resolution, saying he was prompted to act by Mrs. Bentley's comments about Mrs. Sauerbrey's candidacy in the governor's race against Democrat Parris N. Glendening.
"We're just hoping that she realizes that the party just wants to proceed with what's best for the party," Mr. Kittleman said. "We're not saying we don't want her as a Republican, but if you're going to hold a party office, you need to support the nominee, whether you like the nominee or not."
Mr. Kittleman referred to an interview with Mrs. Bentley that appeared in the Nov. 2 editions of The Sun in which she made statements that he and others believe were unforgivable for the national committeewoman.
First, he said, she declared that "I'm not for or against anybody" in the governor's race and that she had "other things to do."
Also, he said, she acknowledged that she did not attempt to talk two of her three top campaign officials out of crossing party lines to endorse Mr. Glendening.
And, he said, Mrs. Bentley revealed that she had talked with other politicians about helping found a third party to steer a middle course between Republicans and Democrats.
"I'm sorry, but you shouldn't be an official in our party, if you're talking about forming a third party," Mr. Kittleman said.
The national committeewoman is one of three state liaisons between the Maryland party and the Republican National Committee.
Ms. Terhes, who is running for re-election as state party chair, said she would not take a position on the resolution.
Rumors about a possible countermove by Mrs. Bentley have abounded in the last week, including one that she would put up a slate of candidates against Ms. Terhes at the convention.
The congresswoman dismissed that yesterday, saying, "I'm not running anybody, anywhere."
As for the criticism that she did not support Mrs. Sauerbrey, she said: "Look, I took the blame for my loss. I'm being blamed for hers. . . . Sauerbrey never campaigned in the city."
Mrs. Bentley said that she was "hurt" by the reaction of the party regulars in calling for her to resign.
And it was clear she was still stung by the loss in a bitter primary campaign against Mrs. Sauerbrey that culminated on election night with the Sauerbrey volunteers singing "Ding, Dong, the Witch is Dead" at their victory party.
"It hurts, but it also points out to how little attention is paid to what people have really done to bring the Republican Party to where it is today," Mrs. Bentley said.