Daybell says primary is an 'open process'; shrugs off comments from Kunin, Markowitz

With Progressive Michael Colby close to jumping in the race for governor, Progressive Party executive director Morgan Daybell said Wednesday that the primary was an “open process,” while adding that Anthony Pollina has won the endorsement of the Progressive state party committee.

Daybell also addressed recent statements by Democratic Party heavyweights Madeleine Kunin and Deborah Markowitz that they would wait for a Democratic contender to enter the fray rather than endorse Pollina.

“I don’t think that’s discouraging,” Daybell said, arguing that Pollina’s outreach to rank-and-file Democrats was going well.

Daybell also responded to Markowitz’s charge that if Pollina was interested in attracting Democratic support he would run as a Democrat, arguing that Pollina had been linked to the Progressive Party for about a decade.

He also said that a party switch would provide ammunition to incumbent Republican Governor Jim Douglas to label Pollina a flip-flopper and, further, would not sit well with Democrats or Progressives.

Pollina is disallowed from running as both a Progressive and Democrat in the primary. But if Democrats write in Pollina’s name as a Democrat in the primary and he wins the most Democratic votes, Pollina would be allowed to run as both a Democrat and Progressive in the general election.

Earlier this month the group Democrats for Pollina was formed to encourage Democrats to write in Pollina’s name in the primary.