Greenwich Post
Libertarian likely for November ballot
Aug 3, 2006

Having collected roughly 75% more signatures than the 2,909 required to get on the ballot, Greenwich portfolio manager and Libertarian congressional hopeful Phil Maymin is gearing up for a run at Connecticut’s 4th District seat in Washington.

While the signatures still have to be certified by local registrars of voters across the district — a process that could take several weeks — Mr. Maymin is confident that, come November, his name will appear on the ballot, right next to Republican incumbent Christopher Shays and Democratic challenger Diane Farrell.

In an interview with the Post earlier this year, Mr. Maymin said his campaign would center on four key issues: cutting taxes; bringing troops home from abroad; abolishing “invasive laws,” such as the Patriot Act; and protecting people’s personal property.

These points, he said, are in keeping with Libertarian philosophy, which has long stressed the importance of keeping government out of citizens’ private affairs.

“Like most of the people in the district, I’m a fiscal conservative and a social liberal,” Mr. Maymin said earlier this week. “I believe in upholding the Constitution, and I’ll never vote for any bill that’s unconstitutional. I don’t think any of my opponents are willing to say that.”

He said neither Democrats nor Republicans are as committed to protecting liberty as his party.

“Whatever they say, [my opponents] are not as gung-ho about freedom as I am,” he said. “They don’t feel it in their hearts and blood. They’re not out there to protect the taxpayers of this great district.”

Mr. Maymin said he drew signatures from across the region, and that he suspects he’s plucked support from both the right and left, though he has no way of knowing, since the petitions he circulated didn’t require signers to list their party affiliation.

He said he’s looking forward to the possibility of debating Rep. Shays and Ms. Farrell, and that he’s eager to go toe-to-toe with them on some of the day’s most pressing issues.

“I think it’ll be great,” he said. “I’m relishing the opportunity. I think it’ll be wonderful. Debating is so easy when you’re passionate about a topic, and when you know you have truth, justice and the American way on your side.”

Now that the his place on the ballot appears secure, Mr. Maymin says he’ll shift his campaign into Phase II: fund raising and getting his message out to voters.

As when he originally announced his candidacy, Mr. Maymin is reluctant to make any predictions regarding how things will shape up in November.

“That’s up to the voters,” he said. “That’s another thing that distinguishes me from my opponents: I’m not going to tell the voters what’s going happen.”