RCNEBC History

The Republican Club of Northeast Baltimore County traces its history to 1984. That year, President Ronald Reagan won a landslide victory in northeastern Baltimore County, and Helen Delich Bentley was elected as the new Member of Congress from the Second District. Thousands of Democrats in northeastern Baltimore County voted for the Republican ticket. Local Republican activists Gary Snyder and Marge Neuman realized that northeastern Baltimore County was fertile ground for a new Republican Club. They called this organization "the Eighth District Republican Club," adopting the boundaries of the state legislative district at the time as a fitting name.

The region was home to many conservative Democrats who were disillusioned with the leftward drift of their party. The club set out to persuade these Democrats to switch parties. Club volunteers also knocked on doors in the fast-growing Perry Hall and White Marsh areas, persuading younger voters to register with the GOP.

There was a breakthrough year in 1990 for the local Republican Party. Disenchanted by high taxes and decades of one-party rule, voters elected Republicans Jim Ports and Al Redmer to the House of Delegates. Local Republican Norman Pepersack became Baltimore County Sheriff, and Republican Roger Hayden became Baltimore County Executive.

In 1999, the Eighth District Republican Club was renamed "Republican Club of Northeast Baltimore County." This renaming was done to incorporate the new scope of the Club which now covered both the Seventh and Eighth legislative districts. The club worked aggressively to register new voters in places like the Honeygo area. That effort paid off: in 2002, when voters elected a majority of Republican legislators from northeastern Baltimore County for the first time. The trend continued in 2006 as voters again chose a majority of Republican legislatures to represent northeast Baltimore County.

The Club’s tremendous growth has been demonstrated by its expanded geographic base. No longer does the club simply represent a small portion of northeast Baltimore County. Today, it has expanded to include all the areas of this part of the county. The Club’s members now live in areas ranging from Bowley’s Quarters to Parkville and everywhere in between. The growth signifies the unified sense of purpose that local Republicans have in northeast Baltimore County.

Republicans have always been outspent in local elections by the Democratic Party. Republicans win in northeastern Baltimore County because of the sophistication of the voters, the hard work of grassroots volunteers, and the activities of the Republican Club of Northeast Baltimore County.