Audrey Scott

Published on: Wednesday, November 18, 2009

By Nancy Royden

By Nancy Royden

Sentinel Staff Writer

The former mayor of Bowie can add another feather to her political cap – she is now chairman of the Maryland Republican Party, filling a vacancy left by Dr. Jim Pelura of Davidsonville.

Audrey E. Scott took the position over the weekend during the Maryland Republican Party’s winter convention in the Comfort Inn Conference Center on Crain Highway in Bowie. Saturday. The 2010 Unity Rally was held at the same location.

Cathy Watts, interim executive director of the Annapolis-based MRP, said Scott was excited about the party’s prospects in 2010.

“I thank the members of the central committees for giving me the opportunity to strengthen our party and make us competitive in all Maryland races next year,” she said.

Scott has run for office 10 times and has been elected six, including three times as mayor of Bowie. She gained national attention in 1981 when she ran against House Majority Leader Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., for an open U.S. House seat. She has been  actively involved in the party’s politics in many areas, from the grassroots level to precinct and campaign chairman and fundraiser. She was named a Maryland Woman of Achievement and is listed in the Maryland Women’s Hall of Fame.

According to the Maryland Commission for Women and the Maryland State Archives, Scott was on the Prince George’s County Council and represented the Fourth Council District, which includes Bowie, Greenbelt, Seabrook, Lanham and Glenn Dale.

Scott was representative on many governmental groups. Some of them are: the Council of Government’s Metropolitan Development Policy Committee, the Prince George’s County Municipal Association and the Prince George’s County Conference and Visitors Bureau.

“There is a wave for change building. Recent Republican victories from the top of the ticket down, including those in Virginia and New Jersey clearly show that voters are tired of governments at all levels playing poker on wasteful projects while turning to taxpayers to cover the stakes. In Maryland, Republicans need to catch the wave and become the agents for change that voters are demanding,” she said.

In 1981, Scott was appointed by the late President Ronald Reagan to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, where she was general deputy assistant secretary in the office of community planning and development for 12 years. In the George H.W. Bush administration, she was deputy assistant secretary in the office of congressional relations.

Ellen Sauerbrey, former Maryland House of Delegates Minority leader and gubernatorial candidate, said Scott was a solid campaign worker who was dependable.

“She’s not a person who tells you something and you have to worry about it. If Audrey tells you it’s going to get done, it gets done,” she said.

Maryland National Committee member Louis Pope said Scott knows how to be an effective advocate for Republicans.

“She knows the issues; she knows the players and she is someone who is dedicated to winning next year and bringing us together,” he said.

Moshe Starkman, chairman of the Maryland Young Republicans, member of the Montgomery County Republican Central Committee and founder/creator of the national Young Republicans Network, said Saturday’s event started with a breakfast, speech by Brentwood Mayor Xzavier Wright and opening remarks from Robert “Bob” Ehrlich Jr., who was governor of Maryland from 2003 to 2007, and Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, R-Sixth District.

Chike Anyanwu, community representative to Del. Don Dwyer, Anne Arundel County, District 31, brought his children to convention Saturday. He said he worked on the Ehrlich campaign in 2005 and he enjoyed hearing his remarks during the event.

“That was really good,” he said.

 “The Maryland Republican Convention was outstanding. Not only was the program run well and people in good spirits, but the unofficial theme was undeniably unity. From the Hogan/Pappas Unity suite on Friday evening to the near unanimous support of our newly elected chairman, the Maryland Republican Party has moved to a position that will be competitive in 2010,” Starkman said.

Starkman said Scott brings dynamic energy that challenges even members of Young Republicans to keep up.

“The only question now is who will lead the Republican ticket. Our coalitions are fired up and ready to go. It may be some time before we know who Maryland’s next Republican governor will be, but we’re ready to deliver the manpower, energy and technology savvy that we’ll need to win in 2010,” Starkman said.