Green Party picks Duffee for 4th Congressional District race
By Mark Ginocchio
Staff Writer
July 16, 2006
Promising it won't be a spoiler for Democratic challenger Diane Farrell's bid to unseat U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays, the state's Green Party picked its congressional candidate.
At a nominating convention last week in Norwalk, members of the party chose Stamford resident Richard Duffee as their candidate in the 4th Congressional District.
Duffee, 57, a poet and writer who also has worked as an environmental lawyer and a high school science teacher, was considered the favorite over Bridgeport resident Stephen Miller, a former Wall Street stockbroker and money manager who had considered withdrawing because he wasn't getting enough exposure from the party.
But after Miller was a no-show at the convention, the party considered whether it should run a candidate and risk jeopardizing Farrell's shot to defeat Shays, R-Bridgeport, in what is being projected as a close race, said David Bedell, secretary for the Green Party's Fairfield County chapter.
"We were considering the spoiler affect," Bedell said in a telephone interview last week. "Some (party) members did not want to increase the chances of Chris Shays being re-elected. But we realized if we didn't run a candidate, we wouldn't be able to express our viewpoints."
Duffee's campaign is centered on improving the Bush administration's "failed" foreign policy, instituting universal health care and legalizing gay marriage.
Bedell said he does not think his campaign will draw votes from Farrell -- who lost to Shays by 4 percentage points two years ago -- and believes his ability to offer a more liberal viewpoint will hurt the incumbent and help create votes for the former Westport first selectwoman.
"We're not even looking to necessarily get those votes for Richard," Bedell said.
Michael Sohn, Shays' campaign manager, did not address the Green Party's desire to oust the congressman, saying, "Chris looks forward to debating all his opponents."
Farrell's camp said it respects the Green Party but said Duffee's candidacy would not affect how Farrell runs her race.
"We're running against Chris Shays and trying to establish a new majority in Congress," said Adam Wood, Farrell's campaign manager. "Like the Green Party, Diane has a very strong commitment to the environment and has been very progressive in her policy as first selectwoman of Westport."
Wood would not speculate on how Duffee's candidacy would affect the votes Farrell receives.
One political observer said Duffee's candidacy could hurt Farrell.
"There is reason to believe a Green Party candidate can draw support from the Democrats," said Gary Rose, professor and chairman of the department of government and policy at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield. Duffee "could pull votes from the far left away from Farrell."
To get on the ballot, Duffee needs to collect 2,909 signatures from registered voters by Aug. 9.
Phil Maymin, a Greenwich Libertarian and hedge fund founder, also is trying to petition his way onto the ballot.
