{news} Stamford Advocate: Green Party picks Duffee for 4th Congressional District race

[David Bedell]

http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/local/scn-sa-green5jul16,0,6332908.story

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 effect," 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 [Duffee's] campaign will draw votes from 
Farrell -- who lost to Shays by 4 percentage points two years ago -- and 
believes [Duffee's] 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.

Copyright © 2006, Southern Connecticut Newspapers, Inc.