Tossing a hat into the ring of the upcoming mayoral race has been an ongoing shadow box. The current mayor, Richard Moccia, weary of what he terms “personal attacks” is forming an exploratory committee. The current Common Council President Michael Coffey suggests that he will form a exploratory committee too. Despite the rumors, Democratic Town Chair Galen Wells says nobody has told her that they are running. All this from today’s Norwalk Advocate article on someone who is running, Wilson Point resident, Scott Merrell.
Merrell is no stranger to running for office, last year he tried for Governor, the year before for the Senate. This time, he’s figured out that he might need a political party to give the campaign legs. From the article:
Scott Merrell, a homeowner in the Wilson Point section, is collecting signatures to start a new Independent Party in Norwalk and expects to finish by the week’s end.When he’s done, Merrell said, he will collect signatures to run for mayor in November as a petition candidate. He wants a full slate of Independent Party candidates running for Common Council.
Merrell, 50, who has no political experience besides an unsuccessful bid to petition his way onto last year’s gubernatorial ballot, said the two-party system is failing.
Norwalk is probably ready for another go at a third party. The Norwalk Democratic Council members, as Will Rogers so famously said, are not part of any organized party. The Norwalk Republican members would likely be happier if they could lose the war stigma the Republican commander in chief has painted them with. It’s not often that national politics will play a role in the race to solve the community pot holes, parking and property taxes that drive the kitchen table debates, but a military confrontation with Iran, on top of Iraq and Afghanistan will have a sobering effect on who can drum up what volunteers. So maybe Merrell has got the right idea at the right time. And maybe some cagey area politicians will recognize the path that Joe Lieberman showed tis past fall, forget the party and vote for the person. In that scenario, Merrell might just find himself a slate of candidates.
