Damoign Nationalists Urge Unity During Contentious Primary

NAT Leaders Afraid Heated Primary Could Fracture The Party In The General Election

GRASSADELLA CITY, DMG--NAT leaders are worried the contentious primary for the party's gubernatorial nomination may be too divisive and anger voters.

House Minority Leader Dlg. Shay Robertson told the STAR Radio News he is concerned the competetive primary, pitting acting-Governor Jim McCaren against Lieutenant Governor David Armasson and retired nuclear-physicist Hans Schmeller, may divide the party and alienate supporters of the unsuccessful candidates.

"I'm afraid that the attacks from each candidate toward the others may end up dividing our party for the general election, which would destroy our party unity and give the conservatives an edge," Robertson said.

Other party members agree.

"The last thing we need right now is to be divided and angry at one another," Delegate Debbie Madronas told GNN News.

The race has grown increasingly tense as candidates spar over who, if anyone, should drop out of the race. Schmeller, who declared his candidacy over a year ago, was the first to jump into the race. The 67-year-old retired scientist entered the race after Lieutenant Governor David Armasson initially said he would not run for governor. Armasson then changed his mind, announcing in October 2007 he would seek the NAT nomination for governor.

Complicating matters, last month, Governor Whit Meiyer, who is not running for re-election, unexpectedly suffered a heart attack, leaving him temporarily incapacitated and unable to hold office. According to the state's constitution, the president of the state Senate, Jim McCaren (S. Grassadella City), took over as acting-Governor. Upon his temporary take-over of power, McCaren insisted he would only serve as governor until Meiyer was able to return, and would not run in the 2008 election. Then, in an apparent about-face, McCaren three weeks ago announced he had changed his mind, and would in fact run in the fall election.

Now, calls for withdrawal are coming from all corners. Schmeller is calling on Armasson and McCaren to drop out because they initially declined and entered the race later.

"I was the first candidate in this race, and unlike my opponents, I didn't lie the voters," Schmeller said at a townhall meeting in southeast Damoign.

Lt. Governor Armasson says Schmeller should drop out because he lacks funds and is a weaker general-election candidate.

"It's obvious I am the strongest candidate against Sid Hoffa. That's apparent by the amount of money I've raised, compared to my opponents, by the number of endorsements, and by the poll numbers," Armasson said at a campaign rally in Grassadella City.

McCaren defends his candicacy, saying voters should retain him because he has made significant changes to the governor's office, and his policies have had little time to take effect.

"In the beginning, I was not going to run, no," he told GBC Radio. "But when I took over as acting-Governor, I made some serious changes, personnel-wise and policy-wise, and we haven't even given those policies enough time to work yet. If we elect a new governor, all the progress that has been made is going to abruptly stop. We can't afford to change leadership at this critical time in our state's history."

While some of Damoign's representatives and delegates have taken sides in the primary, most have remained neutral. And all are calling for unity and civility during the campaign.

"We are all nationalists. We all love our state and the principles we stand for. We shouldn't let an election get in the way of that," Congresswoman Cynthia Mahoney told GNN's James Madine on The Capitol Report.

No matter the outcome of Thursday's election, nationalists will be united, says Delegate Madronas.

"I'm confident that no matter what happens, we're all going to unify in the end and come together to defeat Sid Hoffa."