The Republican Party in Baltimore is underground, literally.

Central Committee headquarters are in the basement of a row house at 2516 N. Charles St., marked only by a couple of campaign signs on the cellar door.

A recording says the office is open Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m., but it was locked Oct. 11.

A cynic might say the basement is a metaphor for the Grand Old Party's status in Baltimore. Some party faithful don't disagree.

"They're like the minority of minority. There are more Sudanese living in the city than Republicans," said Chris Cavey, chairman of the GOP in Baltimore County, which has the state's highest number of registered Republicans.

The numbers are daunting -- 32,057 residents registered as Republicans in the 2008 primary, compared to 265,534 Democrats, according to the state Board of Elections.

Central Committee Chairman Duane Shelton says the party has seen better days and is usually ignored by the local news media.

"Very rarely does anyone show any interest in what we've got going on. It's kind of shameful," he said.

The party has a tough row to hoe in a largely Democratic city and state, but has had its moments, especially when Robert Ehrlich beat Kathleen Kennedy Townsend for the governorship in 2002.

"Having a candidate like that energizes the party, even in a state like Maryland where Republicans are the minority," said Republican David Tufaro, of Roland Park, a rental housing developer who was active in the Ehrlich campaign.

Those were the good old days, or at least as good as it gets here. Former Central Committee chairman and Roland Parker David Blumberg, a friend of Ehrlich, was appointed by Ehrlich to the state parole board. He became chairman and was kept on by Martin O'Malley when O'Malley unseated Ehrlich in 2006.

Now, the GOP is widely viewed as uncompetitive in Baltimore as the general election nears. National polls show Presdent Bush's approval rating around 26 percent and Republican Sen. John McCain lagging behind Democratic Sen. Barack Obama in the presidental race. Democrats control the House and Senate and polls show Republicans losing ground in key races.

"It's definitely a difficult time for urban Republicans, not only because of Barack Obama, but because the (Bush) administration, fairly or unfairly, has been viewed as not sympathetic to the plight of the inner city," Blumberg said.

In heavily Democratic Baltimore, Montgomery County and Prince George's County, it's difficult to organize because there are no Republican elected officials and the party cares less about winning than cutting the margin of defeat, Blumberg said.

This year, it's even worse for the GOP, with an unpopular war, a floundering economy and a Republican president. "It's normal and natural in general to blame the party in office. I perfectly understand that," Tufaro said.

And Blumberg said: "We always did better when we had Democrats in charge instead of Republicans."

He thinks for Republicans to be elected mayor or to the City Council again, they will need roots in the community, churches and schools.

The last Republican mayor was Theodore R. McKeldin, from 1943-47 and 1963-67 (in between, he was governor). And the last Republican councilman predated President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

"Too often, a Republican is just running (in Baltimore) and he doesn't even have the support of his immediate family," Blumberg said.

Cavey said the party could benefit from a closer relationship between city and county GOP committees.

"Quite frankly, we'd probably be better off as a party if the two committees were combined," he said.

But demographics are against city Republicans and nobody knows that better than Mike Hargadon. He is running against popular Rep. Elijah Cummings in the 7th congressional district, which covers part of north Baltimore, including Guilford.

Hargadon, a former independent who rejoined the GOP about 18 month ago, said the Baltimore GOP isn't as well organized as the Howard and Baltimore offices.

Nonetheless, Hargadon isn't conceding anything to Cummings.

"What's the point of complaining if we don't run someone against him?" asked Hargadon, who plans to have his election night party at the Hampden Republican Club.

Tufaro says all is not lost for the GOP, and he is looking forward to the 2010 governor's race, when the party challenges Democrats as tax-happy and O'Malley as having flip-flopped on slots.

Shelton, the Central Committee chairman, is heartened that Hargadon is making a run at Cummings and volunteers are coming from around the city to stump for GOP candidates. His message to voters is: "If you don't like the way things are, we're not going to screw things up more than they already are."

Editor Larry Perl and political editor Bryan Sears contributed to this story.

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