Scontras Weighs Another Run
Republican Dean Scontras, who lost to Charlie Summers in last year’s Congressional primary, is weighing another run in the First Congressional District. Our sources have been indicating this for weeks, but Scontras confirmed it today with an e-mail to supporters this morning. Scontras, a businessman from Eliot, had not served in or run for public office before last year.
Full e-mail after the jump, minus formatting, links and images.
Dear Friends and Supporters,
It’s been nearly a year and a half since my campaign for Maine’s 1st District Congressional seat. Serving as a candidate was an incredibly rewarding experience for my family and me and I remain grateful for the warmth and support you showed me throughout our journey together.
Our campaign touched many people and was unique in many ways. We provided a platform and a voice for people who feel that politics has become an arena for career politicians who shape their views based on the prevailing political polls. We built an small army of Maine citizens who care deeply about the critical issues facing our nation; people who are not afraid to boldly and proudly take a stand. Together we succeeded in ushering in a revival of conservative grassroots activism as evidenced by the hundreds of first-time volunteers that made phone calls, posted signs on their lawns, participated in our events and donated their hard-earned money.
As my friends and supporters, I come to you now for advice during a critical time in our state and nation’s history. During the past few weeks, a number of prominent local and national Republican leaders have approached me about the possibility of becoming a candidate for Maine’s 1st Congressional District seat in 2010. Energized by the recent stunning Republican victories in New Jersey and Virginia and bracing for a “red wave” in 2010, Republicans are looking for principled conservative candidates to step up and run in competitive districts all across the country.
My wife Dawn and I had a long talk the other night about the world our two children, Jack and Zoe, will inherit. Under a new President, our country is rapidly moving on a path towards socialism. A government takeover of out healthcare is on the horizon; a broken job market is leaving a number of talented, hardworking people wondering how they will make ends meet; and our congressional leaders seem content to be complicit in the collapse of the economy. For the sake of our family and the millions of families concerned about the future of our country, conservative Americans cannot sit by and allow our future to disappear without a fight. We pledged that our family would make the sacrifices necessary to LEAD that fight.
Judy Shelton, author and economist, once observed, “money is a moral contract between government and its citizens.” Years of reckless spending by Republicans and Democrats alike has devalued and deflated more than just the dollar. Our government is headed toward insolvency and our elected officials continue to default on their moral obligation to reduce spending and stop borrowing. To the contrary, they are spending and borrowing at a greater pace than ever before.
The dollar should reflect the productivity and ingenuity of this great nation. Instead, the dollar has come to reflect government excess, unfunded liabilities, and the legacy of entitlements that politicians have promised in order to triumph in elections. The bill for generations of politician’s promises has come due on our watch, and borrowing from China is approaching critical mass. We must forge one last fight, or this era of fiscal irresponsibility will consume us. This great moral conflict will be played out next election cycle, and I would like to be on the team that fights the good fight – your team.
In the coming weeks, Dawn and I have an important decision to make regarding a potential run for Congress. I am asking for your strong support once again, this time to assist me with the exploratory process. I need to determine whether a Scontras candidacy can garner the early financial support necessary to compete against a career politician like Chellie Pingree, with her access to unlimited funds and muscle in this new era of Chicago-style politics in Washington, DC.
I have assembled the Scontras Congressional Exploratory Committee to begin collecting pledges of financial support to measure the strength of a potential Scontras 2010 congressional campaign. Your early support is crucial if my campaign is to become a reality in 2010.
Please reply directly to this e-mail and consider making an initial pledge of as little as $10 and as much as $2,400 per individual if you are interested in joining me once again in a fight for the future of Maine and America. I would appreciate any financial support you can give.
Sincerely,
Dean Scontras
No other Republican candidates have emerged, and few other names have been floated, to challenge Democrat Chellie Pingree in her first re-election bid. Scontras may not face a primary this time, but defeating an incumbent member of Congress is a daunting task – and no Republican has been elected to Congress from the first district since Jim Longley Jr. in 1994.
