Call it the “Lieberman Option.”
Sen. Joe Lieberman didn’t invent the move, but he certainly made a big splash when he decided he’d be on the general election ballot even if he lost to Ned Lamont in the Democratic primary. Rep. Corky Mazurek (D-Wolcott) is now doing the same thing.
Mazurek, who faces a spirited Democratic primary challenge from Karen Houghtaling, has submitted petitions with more than 100 signatures to Wolcott Town Clerk Dolores Slater. On Monday, she sent the petitions to Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz for final approval.
[…]
“I will be on the ballot in November,” Mazurek said Tuesday. (Larson)
Lieberman was able to pull off a win largely due to support from Republicans and more conservative independents. He was helped by the fact that few Republicans supported GOP nominee over Lieberman. Mazurek is in an even better position–there is no Republican on the ballot. If he loses the primary, which I’m thinking is actually pretty likely (Mazurek seems to think so, too), the November election will be a rematch, but in front of all the voters instead of just Democrats.
Mazurek is a moderate Democrat who has come under fire from liberal groups like CCAG for his stands on energy and campaign finance reform. Houghtaling has support from CCAG as well as the UAW, the AFSCME and the Working Families Party. Interestingly, though Mazurek says of campaign finance reform that it’s “…a poor use of taxpayer money,'’ he is taking public financing, as is Houghtaling. Mazurek did not vote on campaign finance reform in 2005, although he was a state representative at the time.
Legislative Democrats are, according to Capitol Watch, sending a bunch of top Democrats such as Jim Amann down to campaign with Mazurek this week.
Source
Larson, Andrew. “Mazurek intends to run in 80th regardless of primary.” Waterbury Republican-American 6 August, 2008.
11 responses so far ↓
I won my 2006 Republican primary.
There were 4200 or so registered Rs and turnout was 720. I won 420 - 300.
I find it hard to believe that there will be more than 1,000 voters next Tuesday. I doubt turnout passes 20% of registered Dems.
If Corky (who I met and found to be quite personable) knows how to GOTV… I don’t see how he loses.
He must have at least 200 - 300 friends who are registered Dems and are definite supporters. He just needs to turn them out.
Mazurek was a Dem for Joe, supporting Lieberman after the Senate primary. He’s used to the drill of trying to defeat Democrats.
MikeCT said:
And just like Joe, Corky would and will win in November.
If so, once again only b/c the Republicans couldn’t field a respectable candidate…
Anyway, I hope that the CT for Lieberman party will offer Corky their endorsement and ballot line.
We started off by instituting primaries to rid politics of party bosses. Then we got the “maverick” politician who was his own party and his own party boss. Lieberman wasn’t the first. Does anyone recall Lowell whatshisface?
The maverick is no respecter of parties, So, when someone dishes him, he just runs as an independent.
What this really means is – primaries don’t do what they’re supposed to do. Nobody has figured this out yet. The media always lags a couple of decades behind in political analysis.
You know how to change this? Get rid of primaries, which are too boring, too expensive and too stupid (They may have cost Obama the election) and reintroduce party bosses.
My pick for the Democrats in Connecticut would be the government-by-suit guy Dick whathisface.
Don’t know about the Republicans, but Healy is doing a bang-up job so far.
Mazurek sounds he’d have my vote…we need less ‘party-driven’ ideologists. Those types are a big reason why this country & state are so screwed up. The democrat congress is even worse than the last republican one!
Maybe all these elected Democrats who are being pushed out of their own party would make good Republicans. God knows we need more of them.
I don’t have a problem with him petitioning to get on the ballot, but it seems silly and wasteful to run in a Democratic primary while simultaneously petitioning. Just like Lieberman should have, Mazurek should pick a party and run with it. To play it both ways seems dishonest.
He seems like a nice guy…I hope he wins.
What is Karen Houghtaling’s stance on marriage equality? I know that Mazurek is a strong opponent, along with many other progressive causes such as workers’ rights (Houghtaling has lots of union support) and campaign finance reform (even though he has no problem taking the state’s $$, as a Democrat or a Liebercrat)…
Ooh….another screenname!
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