The Anne Arundel Republican Central Committee ousted its chairman in a move that many county GOP members called a black eye for the party.
“I don?t make the claim to be the best chairman,” Mike Collins said before his removal at a committee Wednesday. “I expected there to be fighting. But I didn?t expect this to be like seventh grade with people ignoring me and saying, ?Don?t talk to Mike.?”
Calls for Collins? resignation had been rumored for months and first revealed by bloggers.
Committee members said Collins failed as a leader by not pushing for voter registration, delaying subcommittee assignment and not quelling internal disputes. He has been the chairman since November.
“We wanted a chance for this to happen quietly … but from there, the spin began,” said committee member Alan Repzkowski.
Committee members also said Collins spoke against the state GOP party leadership. Collins said he disagreed with how people were hired within the party and vented his disagreement publicly.
It was the first time committee members publicly vented their problems with Collins, and acknowledged they tried to handle the situation behind closed doors.
But Collins defended his actions and said he planned to step down later this year. Collins did appoint subcommittees in May.
Committee members said they had set up an August meeting at Kauffman?s tavern to discuss their gripes with Collins, but he never showed, they said.
But in an e-mail to the committee members before the meeting, member Debbie Belcher said the meeting was “pointless” because an ouster decision had been made, and that “this should be done … without undue attention.”
Many GOP members called the committee?s action disgraceful. Although others agreed Collins had to go, they disapproved of the committee?s methods.
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