#2 finisher in GOP primary for Congress seeks support from Republicans, Molly Gray Democrats
“Liam, let me tell you, you’ve messed with the wrong broad”
By Guy Page
Game on, Ericka Redic, the Burlington Republican who finished second in the GOP race for U.S. Congress to independent and reluctant nominee Liam Madden, said today.
Speaking live on her Generally Irritable Facebook program, Redic announced she will be on the November 8 ballot on the Libertarian ticket, and that she has already won the support of the Chittenden County Republican Committee.
“Liam has demonstrated he cannot be trusted,” Redic said. “He doesn’t trust Vermonters enough to run on his own values. Are we going to let him speak for Vermont?”
Redic said she is finding support from the grassroots – and some GOP leaders, as well.
Following the primary, the Chittenden County GOP Committee met to discuss the situation, Redic said. “They will be submitting a resolution and issuing a press release that, as the most vote-getting Republican, the Chittenden County GOP recognizes me as the winner of the election,” she claimed. Any such resolution is likely to be a subject of discussion when the GOP State Committee meets Saturday in Montpelier.
“He never really planned on running as an independent,” the Burlington accountant continued. “We’re not going to bow out. We’re very upset. We have agreed that we’re going to continue the fight.”
Madden shocked Republicans yesterday when he told WCAX he might decline the GOP nomination and instead run as an independent, subject to negotiations with the GOP leadership. Today, WCAX reported that Madden will indeed accept the nomination – but only because he missed the deadline to run as an independent.
“My entire adult life as a Vermont voter, I saw that Bernie Sanders participated in a party primary and declines the nomination to run as an independent in the general election,” Madden told WCAX. “I didn’t understand that the only reason Bernie can decline the Democratic Party nomination and be an independent in the general was that he and the Democratic Party had to agree ahead of time to not replace the spot on the ballot he was leaving open with another candidate. Upon learning this, I doubted that the Republican Party wanted to leave the spot open if I declined the nomination.”
What’s not clear is whether an independent Congressman Madden would caucus with Republicans and vote for a Republican Speaker of the House. It’s possible history could repeat itself, when. Sen. James Jeffords won re-election in 2000, only to then vote as a Democrat, thus giving the Democrats control of the Senate.
“Vermont’s liberty-minded people are not going to take this lying down,” Redic said. “We can prove to the rest of the country that we’re a joke, we can sit back and do nothing, or we can do something about it.”
Madden, who has not returned Vermont Daily Chronicle inquiries, apparently wants to run as an independent provided the Republican Party runs no-one at all in the general election.
Redic admitted some frustration with GOP leadership for seeming to allow an independent to win the nomination. But she urged all Libertarians, Republicans, and disaffected Molly Gray Democrats to rally behind her candidacy.
“Leadership starts from the bottom up,” Redic said. “If Vermonters aren’t participating in their own government, what is leadership going to do?”
“Liam let me tell you – you have messed with the wrong broad,” Redic said. “You have underestimated the will of the Republican Party in Vermont. And it will be to your detriment.”
“We’re going to have a fun three way race this time,” Redic’s husband Ben Redic said. “You’re going to have to win on your issues.”
Redic urged that party members show up at the Vermont State Committee meeting 10:30 AM Saturday at Capitol Plaza in Vermont, where the party faithful will discuss what action to take given Madden’s announcement. They also will be appointing candidates for attorney general, auditor, treasurer, and secretary of state, which were won during the primary by H. Brooke Paige. He said last month he has found several likely candidates who have agreed to run in the general election.
Libertarian Party of Vermont chair, Olga M. Mardach-Duclerc said; “Although she does not have the financial war chest of a Bernie backed candidate or the sleight of hand confidence of the not-republican nominee – she is very clear and consistent on her principles.” She continued, “We are proud to endorse her and excited that many Vermonters from all over the political spectrum have a candidate that can truly represent them in DC.”
More information about Ericka Redic’s campaign for Congress is available at RedicForCongress.com and her social media at Generally Irritable on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram