By John E. Yang
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, May 13, 1997; Page A04

Maverick two-term Rep. Linda Smith (R-Wash.) said yesterday she will seek her party's nomination to challenge Sen. Patty Murray (D) next year.

Smith, who has been a thorn in the side of House GOP leaders on campaign finance and did not vote for Newt Gingrich's reelection as speaker, pledged not to take money from political action committees and not to hold fund-raising events in Washington, D.C.

" 'Show me the money' may be a good line for Hollywood, but it's no way to run government," she told reporters in Seattle, quoting the catch phrase from the movie "Jerry McGuire."

Two of Smith's House colleagues are also considering the race. Rep. Jennifer Dunn (R) will decide by June 1 whether to run, according to spokesman Rob Nichols. Rep. George R. Nethercutt (R) has said he would consider running if Dunn did not.

Both are more moderate than Smith, whose base of support is from religious conservatives. Smith has a strong grass-roots network in her southwestern Washington district. She won the 1994 GOP nomination for the House as a write-in candidate and beat incumbent Democrat Jolene Unsoeld.

Last fall, she narrowly defeated Democratic challenger Brian Baird, a university psychology professor, on the strength of mail-in ballots. Baird has been poised to announce his candidacy for the House seat Thursday regardless of Smith's decision.

Smith is the fourth House Republican this year to announce a 1998 Senate bid, joining Reps. Jim Bunning (Ky.), Bob Inglis (S.C.) and Mark Neumann (Wis.). In addition, Rep. Scott L. Klug (R-Wis.) has announced his retirement.

Democratic officials said they are hopeful of winning some of those seats in their effort to pick up 10 seats to regain control of the House. They will also have to defend some of the five seats being relinquished by House Democrats seeking other offices or retiring. Reps. Scotty Baesler (Ky.) and Charles E. Schumer (N.Y.) are running for the Senate, Rep. Glenn Poshard (Ill.) is running for governor and Reps. Lee H. Hamilton (Ind.) and Sidney R. Yates (Ill.) are retiring.