Kreighorn To Run As Independent

Incumbent senator loses primary, will run as independent


AUBURNE, BIERELAND--Senator Michael Kreighorn (NAT), who narrowly lost to former Brookings Mayor Steve Pottomeaux in last week's senate primary election, will now run as an independent in the general election.

The tense primary election ended last Tuesday, when Pottomeaux narrowly beat the incumbent Kreighorn by a margin of 52%-47%, respectively. Pottomeaux, who had the backing of more liberal Nationalists, was expected to win the race against the much more moderate Kreighorn.

On Monday, Kreighorn announced at his home near Auburne he will run as an independent in the December general election. That means he will now face Pottomeaux (NAT) and Conservative candidate Robert Browning.

The three-way race, which many Nationalists fear will split the NAT vote, does not seem to worry Kreighorn.

"I believe the people of Biereland will vote for the best candidate, plain and simple," he told reporters outside his home. "That's why I'm running as an independent, because my party doesn't support me, but the voters do. I've got Nationalists, Conservatives, Democratic-Reformists, Independents...all are supporting me. People from all political parties and backgrounds are supporting my candidacy. That proves that our campaign is truly independent."

Reacting to the news, Pottomeaux did not specifically call on Kreighorn to withdraw from the race, but said, "a two-way race between me and Robert Browning would be best for the party," and added, "typically the unsuccessful candidate acknowledges the will of the people and withdraws his or herself from the race. That's just a sort of courtesy."

Not surprisingly, the Browning campaign welcomed Kreighorn's newly-independent candidacy.

"We believe that all credible candidates should be welcomed at the table, and if Senator Kreighorn feels he belongs in this race, then he should be allowed to run," Browning campaign spokesman Kyle Englehardt told the Greene Mountain Press. "Robert Browning is looking forward to debating Steve Pottomeaux and Michael Kreighorn."

Biereland Secretary of State Steven Yang confirmed to GNN that Kreighorn did file the necessary paperwork to run as an independent. Biereland is one of seven states that allow candidates to run as an independent candidate after losing a primary election.

The most recent senator who lost a primary election and then subsequently ran as an independent was Lee Schefsky, a Conservative from Carova, who lost the Conservative nomination in 2008 to then-state senator Tyler Dodd. Schefsky then filed as an independent, and the two went on to the general election to face Nationalist Ann Kocheni, who ended up winning.

A similar situation unfolded in December 2008 in Biereland's special senate election in which incumbent David Parker (NAT) was running for re-election. Parker was opposed by Conservative Driscoll Sherber and Democratic-Reformist Julie Grendhau, and while Grendhau won the first round of voting, she did not reach the necessary 45% to win. A run-off ensued between Grendhau and the underdog Sherber, and resulted in a narrow victory for Sherber.

It appears the Kreighorn-Pottomeaux-Browning race could head to a run-off like in 2008's special election. Biereland's other senate race, a rematch between Sherber and Grendhau, also is a three-way race, with the addition of D-R candidate Lylan Wyler. Many believe both races could end up in tight run-offs between the top two candidates, something both major parties want to avoid.