Wednesday, October 15, 2008
News DeKalb's Conlon: I'm really a Democrat
Posted by Scott Henry @ScottTheHenry on Wed, Oct 15, 2008 at 6:38 PM
Michelle Conlon wants you to know she isn't really an independent.
It's a long story, but I'll try to keep it brief: Conlon, a renewable energy consultant, had planned to run against mid-Dekalb state Rep. Mike Jacobs as a Democrat. Jacobs upset many of his constituents last year when he switched parties to become a Republican. But another Democrat candidate, business owner Keith Gross, persuaded Conlon to sit out the race. Secretary of State Karen Handel later found Gross to be in violation of the residency requirement and bounced him from the ballot — but did not reopen qualifying. So, in order to get into the District 80 race, Conlon has been forced to run as an independent. But most folks naturally assumed her to be a Democrat.
Apparently, Conlon was worried that not enough people had gotten the message. This morning, she held a telephone press conference with House Minority Leader DuBose Porter, D-Dublin, to remind us that although there's an "I" behind her name, she's really a Democrat and would caucus with the Democrats if elected. Democratic leaders have been helping Conlon's campaign and funneling her contributions, but it seems she wanted to underscore that link with a public statement.
Although Jacob arguably has a majority-Democratic district, he's known to be an effective campaigner who stays in touch with his constituents, so Conlon has a tough challenge ahead of her — even as a Democrat.
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