BY JOAN MCCOY
Leader staff writer
IN SHORT: Mayor Stumbaugh learns he has no opponent for Congress in the Republican primary.
Cabot Mayor Stubby Stumbaugh, who filed for Congress in the First District Tuesday against Marion Berry, the Democratic incumbent, will not have to run in the primary since the other Republican has dropped out of the race.
Patrick D’Andrea, also of Cabot, who announced five months ago that he would run against Stumbaugh, said on the first day of filing that he had changed his mind.
“It takes away too much time from my family and I should have expected that,” D’Andrea said Tuesday afternoon. “The tradeoff doesn’t appear to be worth it.”
D’Andrea’s wife gave birth to their daughter in January and he said he didn’t want to spend too much time away from her.
“Twenty-six counties is a lot of ground to cover and I am not prepared to make that sort of sacrifice,” he said.
Berry filed for re-election on Tuesday.
D’Andrea announced for Congress before friends and media representatives, but his announcement that he would not run was a quiet one. He said his first call was to Stumbaugh and his second was to Clint Reed, executive director of the state Republican Party.
He intended to call local papers, he said, but at 2 p.m., when The Leader spoke to him, he had not.
Stumbaugh said D’Andrea also told him that he didn’t want to sacrifice time with his family for a political race.
“He’s got a brand new baby,” Stumbaugh said. “I told him that if that was his reason for not running, then I commend him.”
Stumbaugh said D’Andrea offered to support him in his race but not campaign for him.
Quoting the adage that all politicians know — there are only two ways to run, scared or unopposed — Stumbaugh said he was pleased that he appears to be the only Republican in the race and hoped no one else files before the two-week filing period ends.
He said he is excited about the race. “I want people to know that when they vote for me, they’re voting for someone who will look out for them and not play partisan politics,” he said.
“But I will represent the views and values of the Republican Party,” he added.
