Kendel Ehrlich, wife of Maryland's Robert Ehrlich, was speaking at a domestic violence conference at Hood College in the state.
She said women should get as much education as possible to avoid becoming dependent on anyone else.
She then added: "It is incredibly important to get that message to young women. You know, really, if I had an opportunity to shoot Britney Spears, I think I would."
Her spokeswoman, Meghann Siwinski, said Mrs Ehrlich is a working mother raising a young son and she made an inadvertent comment while expressing her concerns about the influence of pop culture on children.
Ms Siwinski said Mrs Ehrlich made an "inadvertent figure of speech".
Jive Records, the New York-based label that represents Spears, said in an e-mailed statement that Ehrlich had "shot her own self in the foot by promoting violence."
