Caddigan Might Not Support Stewart

"This is getting childish," Stewart said, "and I am a little perturbed by her childish behavior."

The dispute might get even more serious if Caddigan openly supports Sharon E. Pandak, who lost to Stewart last November and is running against him again in the general election. Caddigan said that she is considering supporting the Democrat but that she hasn't made up her mind. Stewart said that Caddigan did not support him in the race against Pandak last November and so he is not surprised she once again will not support him this November.

Stewart said that any Republican who does not support the GOP candidates should not be a member of the party.

"She has a history of supporting Democrats," Stewart said. "Now, I don't think that is the right thing to do. I think that if you are a member of the party, you should support other party nominees or get out of your party."

Thomas A. Kopko, chairman of the county Republican Party, was unaware of Caddigan's decision to not support Stewart until he was asked to comment on the matter.

"It would be unfortunate for someone carrying the Republican banner to publicly state that they are not supporting another Republican," Kopko said. "It violates the Republican creed. And, unfortunately, she has placed herself outside of what most Republicans expect from each other."

When asked about Caddigan's contention that Stewart worked against her in the primary, Kopko said, "The strength of our democracy is in the election process. It is not only every citizen's right, it is every citizen's duty to support a candidate who espouses their views most closely."

When Kopko was asked whether he had any direct knowledge of whether Stewart supported Brewer, he said, "It would be appropriate to ask Stewart that question." When asked again about what he knew about Stewart's role in the election, he would only say, "You have my answer."

Kopko disputed the Republican activist's view that the disagreement between Caddigan and Stewart represented a battle between moderate and conservative members of the county party.

Kopko said that he rejected the moderate and conservative labels and that voters made it clear how they feel about their party by electing Stewart last November and then electing Republican Michael C. May in a special election to fill Stewart's seat from the Occoquan District on the board. He did not mention Caddigan's primary win.

When asked what 81 percent of the voters were making clear by casting ballots for Caddigan last Tuesday in the Dumfries District, Kopko said, "I think Maureen has done a lot of good citizens' service in the past, and I think that is what they citizens voted for, as well as she is a known commodity."

Jenkins, the longest-serving member of the board, said that he thinks Stewart supported Caddigan's opponent and that the election results were a "setback" for the chairman.

"She had an overwhelming vote, over 81 percent, with a low voter turnout that indicates that the people who turned out had a message they wanted to send back," Jenkins said. "I think that it was a setback for him. I think it was a vote for good government. People are looking for stability in their government, they like the middle of the road. Radicals, whether they are to the left or the right, are going to find a lot of disfavor in the county."

Kopko said that as party chairman he is going to work to repair the rift between Caddigan and Stewart. That might not be easy.

At Caddigan's victory celebration Tuesday night, Pandak showed up to offer her congratulations. Caddigan introduced Pandak to the crowd. Last week, Caddigan said she is considering supporting Pandak against Stewart. If she did that, it is possible that the county Republican Party would try to expel her.

Caddigan said she has no intention of leaving the party.