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Republicans have angrily resigned from the bipartisan Women鈥檚 Caucus of Maryland after a GOP delegate who was in line to become the next president was leapfrogged for the top job by a Democrat during a virtual caucus meeting Wednesday.
The vote to install Del. Lesley J. Lopez (D-Montgomery) as the new president over Del. Lauren C. Arikan (R-Harford) came as the caucus 鈥� thought to be the oldest bipartisan legislative women鈥檚 caucus in the U.S. 鈥� is preparing to celebrate its 50th anniversary later this month.
鈥淓veryone was offended by the decision,鈥� Arikan said in an interview.
The 11 Republicans in the 80-member women鈥檚 caucus resigned immediately after the vote and later demanded that the caucus change its name to the Democrat Women鈥檚 Caucus of Maryland 鈥渢o reflect its new mission and leadership,鈥� Arikan said.
The leadership vote came after a long caucus meeting Wednesday morning that covered several topics and was cut short by the start of Senate and House floor sessions.
With Del. Anne R. Healey (D-Prince George鈥檚) set to step down as caucus president at the end of this General Assembly session, Arikan, as vice president of the caucus, was considered next in line and expected to replace her.
Members of the Women Legislators of Maryland executive board traditionally work their way up the leadership ladder, but there is no rule saying that the vice president automatically becomes the next president.
Also by tradition, in a legislature dominated by Democrats, Republicans rotate into the caucus presidency every few years, though there is no set timetable for them to do so. The last Republican to hold the job was Howard County Del. Trent M. Kittleman, who served in 2019 and 2020.
Lopez, who as first vice president of the caucus would have been expected to take over after the 2023 session under the traditional order, said Wednesday she was encouraged to seek the presidency this year by two separate groups of Democratic women in the legislature who in part were concerned about handing the gavel over to Arikan, a vocal conservative known for her slashing, acerbic style during House floor debates.
鈥淚 was flattered,鈥� Lopez said in an interview. 鈥淚 had some plans of what I wanted to do [as caucus president] when I moved up and so I accelerated the timeline.鈥�
Lopez announced her intentions in a March 4 email to colleagues, which was obtained Wednesday by Maryland Matters.
鈥淚鈥檓 running for president 鈥� for many reasons, not least of which is to professionalize and modernize the caucus, which I鈥檝e heard from many is a real concern,鈥� Lopez wrote in the email. 鈥淚鈥檝e also spoken to the Speaker and her staff about the best approach to work toward a more functional, bipartisan caucus.鈥�
Arikan said that while she was aware a contested election was brewing, no Democratic member of the caucus told her what qualms they had about the prospects of her becoming president.
鈥淚鈥檓 not sure what motivated the Democrat women to change their mind鈥� about the traditional leadership rotation, she said.
Asked what Democratic colleagues told her about Arikan, a fellow member of the House Judiciary Committee, Lopez replied, 鈥淚 think everybody has had their own individual experiences with her. But I don鈥檛 think you can really be the head of the caucus if your style is to be divisive and partisan.鈥�
In a statement put out late Wednesday afternoon by the Republican women of the caucus, Arikan said she 鈥渨as committed to leaving the partisanship at the door of the Women鈥檚 Caucus to support legislation that reflected the needs of all of the women in the state of Maryland, regardless of political affiliation.鈥�
Lopez said that days before the caucus election, in a spirit of bipartisanship, she approached state Sen. Adelaide C. Eckardt (R-Middle Shore), a veteran lawmaker with strong relationships across the aisle, to join her leadership team and run for one of the caucus vice president slots.
Eckardt, who until Wednesday was women鈥檚 caucus secretary and had served as president in 2007 and 2008, when she was a member of the House, declined.
In an interview Wednesday, Eckardt decried the erosion of bipartisanship in the legislature as a whole 鈥� and in the caucus specifically.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 important to respect the minority party and not just throw the baby out of the bathwater,鈥� she said.
This wasn鈥檛 the first time in recent years that a Republican was denied a promotion to become leader of the women鈥檚 caucus. During the 2011 session, then-Del. Jeannie Haddaway-Ricco (R), who is now secretary of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, was passed over in favor of then-Del. Susan C. Lee, a Montgomery County Democrat who is now serving in the Senate.
That election led to an informal agreement within the caucus that Republicans could serve as president every three years 鈥� a pact that has now been upended. But some Democratic caucus members have been uncomfortable with the arrangement, given that Democrats outnumber Republicans almost 7-1 within the caucus.
鈥淭he majority of women weren鈥檛 around in the caucus then, and it鈥檚 not something we agreed to,鈥� Lopez said.
鈥楾he minority within the minority鈥�
Women lawmakers from both parties said they were shocked by the turn of events at Wednesday鈥檚 virtual caucus meeting. According to several members, Lopez was elected on a 50-12 vote, with one Democrat supporting Arikan.
鈥淚 was probably the most confused person on the line,鈥� said Del. Shaneka T. Henson (D-Anne Arundel). 鈥淚 tune in [to caucus meetings] regularly but I鈥檝e never seen anything like that.鈥�
Del. April R. Rose (R-Carroll) said the power move by the Democratic women was dispiriting for the GOP caucus members.
鈥淎s the Republican women, we routinely think we鈥檙e the minority within the minority,鈥� she said. 鈥淎s the Republican women, we feel like we have to fight for everything as it is.鈥�
Because of the time constraints at Wednesday鈥檚 meeting, the caucus was only able to elect its next president and did not get to vote on a full slate of officers. Lopez said she was hoping to address her Republican colleagues on the Zoom call, but they all left right after the vote and 鈥渦nfortunately, I didn鈥檛 get the opportunity to extend that olive branch formally.鈥�
It isn鈥檛 clear what happens next.
According to the caucus bylaws, members are supposed to choose new leaders 30 days before the close of the legislative session 鈥� and that deadline has already slipped. Healey, the outgoing caucus president, said she wasn鈥檛 sure when the caucus would next be able to meet given the press of legislative business before lawmakers adjourn on April 11.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know how that鈥檚 all going to shake out,鈥� she said.
Healey also said the caucus was supposed to celebrate its 50th anniversary in three ways during the coming weeks: With a professionally-produced video on the caucus history that hasn鈥檛 been completed and was supposed to come out later this month; with a group picture to be taken on Maryland Day, March 25, with all the caucus members wearing the state colors; and by giving out a range of caucus memorabilia to all their colleagues on Sine Die, the last day of session.
Eckardt, who signed on to the statement released by the Republican women legislators, chalked up some of the recent strife within the caucus to COVID-19, which kept legislators physically apart for extended periods of time, making it harder to gather informally and form friendships with colleagues.
鈥淧art of working together as a caucus is being able to deal with those differences for better or worse 鈥� it鈥檚 part of the process and being effective,鈥� she said.
But one Democratic first-term caucus member, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said some of the changes were inevitable, as younger members seek a more progressive agenda.
She said she expected there to be differences between Democrats and Republicans in the caucus on emotional issues like abortion rights, but was surprised that the caucus couldn鈥檛 even come together to promote women鈥檚 health programs or women in business.
Lopez said she hopes to speak at greater length to all of her women colleagues soon 鈥� especially the Republicans.
鈥淢y door is always open,鈥� she said. 鈥淐ertainly the plan has always been to keep it bipartisan. I don鈥檛 think anyone has any intention of changing the bylaws.鈥�
Lopez hopes to schedule a strategic planning retreat for all members of the caucus, featuring a third-party mediator, sometime after the primaries.
But it isn鈥檛 clear if the Republicans would participate.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really a shame,鈥� Arikan said. 鈥淎nd this is Women鈥檚 History Month.鈥�
Elizabeth Shwe contributed to this report.
