Aug 17, 2006
Libertarian Maymin officially on ballot to challenge Shays, Farrell
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Touting himself as more of a Republican than Representative Christopher
Shays and more of a Democrat than Diane Farrell, Greenwich hedge fund
manager Phil Maymin officially announced his candidacy Tuesday for
Connecticut’s 4th district congressional seat.
While Mr. Maymin,
a member of the Libertarian Party, had previously stated his intention
to run against Rep. Shays and Ms. Farrell, it wasn’t until last week
that the Elections Division of the Connecticut Secretary of State’s
office verified the signatures he’d collected, ensuring he had more
than the requisite 2,909.
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| Greenwich hedge fund manager Phil Maymin officially announced his bid for Congress this week at a press conference at his Railroad Avenue office. Mr. Maymin, a Libertarian, will run to represent the Fourth District against Republican incumbent Christopher Shays and challenger Diane Farrell, a Democrat who formerly was Westport's first selectman. |
Speaking during a press conference at his office on Railroad Avenue, Mr. Maymin set out to distance himself from his opponents.
“I
am fiscally conservative and socially liberal,” Mr. Maymin said.
“Democrats say they stand for social freedom, but they have no problem
stealing your money to control the economy. Republicans say they stand
for economic freedom, but they have no problem stealing your money to
control the culture.”
Mr. Maymin said he feels his party’s
message of protecting personal freedoms and keeping government out of
private affairs should appeal equally to those on the right and left of
the political spectrum. He said he looked forward to a spirited
campaign, dismissing the idea he’s running simply to get his party’s
message out, not win.
“It’s definitely going to be a close race,” he said. “All it takes is 40% to win; 34% might be enough.”
When
asked about fundraising, Mr. Maymin said he’d contributed between
$5,000 and $10,000 of his own money to the signature-collecting portion
of his campaign. He said neither Rep. Shays nor Ms. Farrell, his
challengers in the race, have contributed to their campaigns.
In
the future, he said, he plans to focus more on outside fundraising, as
well as getting his message out through creative, nontraditional
channels. While he declined to comment on what these methods might
entail, insisting he didn’t want to tip off the competition, he
mentioned his Web site, which allows for visitors to post questions he
plans to respond to.
“With me, it’s a two-way street,” he said.
Mr.
Maymin said he’d fight to get on debates with his challengers,
something he said the Libertarian Party has had luck doing over the
years.
“We do expect to have not only a viable campaign, but a strong campaign,” he said.
When
he first announced his intention to get on the ballot earlier this
spring, Mr. Maymin outlined four key campaign principles: bringing
troops home, cutting taxes, eliminating invasive laws and protecting
private property.
These ideals, he insists, are in line with
what Fairfield County voters — 40% of whom do not have party
affiliations — are looking for.
“Everyone we’ve spoken to on the beaches of Fairfield or across the district — they want a real change,” he said.
He said Rep. Shays and Ms. Farrell, despite stated differences, are really running on similar platforms.
“Both
parties steal your money to make the government bigger,” he said. “Both
parties steal your money to spend on government programs for special
interest groups to get their donations and votes.”
Adam Wood,
campaign manager for Ms. Farrell, welcomed Mr. Maymin into the race and
said he’s surprised there aren’t more people going after Rep. Shays’
seat.
“I think our government is way out of control,” he said.
“There are very few checks and balances. We’re spending $250 million a
day in Iraq. I’m not surprised the Libertarians have a candidate here.”
“I
think what this does show is that people are committed to change —
they’re passionate about it,” he said. “This is a referendum on the
status quo.”
In a statement to the press, Rep. Shays’
campaign manager, Michael Sohn, said the congressman is “looking
forward to debating all of his opponents this fall.”
© Copyright 2006 by Hersam Acorn newspapers
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