We The People Chair Walter Micowski Announces Bid For Mayor – as a Republican [Full Story + Video]

We The People Chairman Walter Micowski is on a mission to make Democrats the minority party in Meriden. His first step? Becoming a Republican.

Micowski, freshly registered as a Republican, publicly broke with the leadership of Meriden's third "We The People" party on Monday afternoon, when he announced that he would seek the office of mayor as the GOP candidate. He will replace 86-year-old Bill Godburn who the to the post in July as a placeholder.

“We have the means to take over the City Council,” Micowski said Wednesday afternoon of the for the Nov. 8, 2011 elections, calling it "a deep ticket."

Micowski was surrounded by many of those candidates – including Kevin Scarpati, Liz Whitney, and Al Pronovost – as well as current city councilor and GOP Town Committee chair Dan Brunet, and state Sen. Len Suzio (R-Meriden), among other Republican supporters as he made his announcement.

The 55-year-old energy consultant and president of the North Meriden Neighborhood Association has been publicly mulling a 2011 run for much of the summer. This is his second bid for the seat. In 2007 he was We The People's candidate for Mayor, eventually losing to then-mayor and current schools superintendent Mark Benigni (D). Benigni was dual-endorsed by the Republicans that year, a move that caused members to break off and form the conservative-leaning third party in the first place, according to Record-Journal articles from that year.

His switch to the Republicans this week, Micowski said, was due to a difference of opinion with We The People members about how to go about this year's elections.

Reached for comment Monday night, We The People's vice chair Lois Demayo said Micowski's main objective when the group was deciding on its Nov. nominations this summer seemed to be to oust Democrats – not necessarily advance their own party. She said he wanted We The People to dual-endorse many Republican candidates, while she and other members were focused on putting up their own people.

We The People registered its at the end of August without a mayoral candidate, and with a record five of its own candidates. It did have two dual endorsements of Republicans, that of Al Pronovost for City Council in Area 1, and Irene Masse for City Clerk, who was also endorsed by the Democrats. Republicans, in turn, dually endorsed We The People incumbent Walt Shamock as an at-large City Councilor at its own nominating convention in July. 

"I think working together to change Meriden, that should be the goal, the objective of Republicans and We The People with the Democrats in control," Micowski said during the announcement, adding that both conservative-leaning parties were not much different ideologically. "I kind of liken it to the Tea Party and the national Republicans, there’s a difference of opinion on some matters, but they do come together on most issues. It’s the same thing in Meriden," he said.

In the coming weeks Micowski said he will start to unveil his specific platforms and campaign issues to the public, but discussed a few areas he will likely focus on. These included the town's mill rate (he believes it is too high), keeping city spending under control, and making the town more hospitible to businesses. 

"I think it’s very interesting that the Democrats in Meriden have chosen to run on their record…I felt real good about that," he said. "Because we can drive downtown and take a look at their record, we can look at test scores in the Board of Education and take a look at their record and this happens year after year after year."

Reached for comment by phone Monday night, incumbent mayor Michael Rohde (D) simply said of Micowski's run, "I welcome the Republican opponent."

Micowski had not officially resigned his chairmanship of We The People as of Monday afternoon, but said he would have to do so as a candidate. According the third party's rules, he still can be a We The People member, but not part of the leadership, now that he is registered with a major party.

Despite the move, the new candidate said he would attend We The People's meeting in October and ask for members' support.

But the chance of any formal We The People support sounded slim Monday night when speaking with an audibly upset DeMayo after the announcement. "He's willing to throw the ticket away. You can't do that to your people," she said, facing a season of campaigning and fundraisers she'll have to navigate without Micowski's help, she said.

"I understand there are going to be hard feelings," Micowski said during the announcement. "But, for the better good, sometimes you have to give and take...if you really want to change Meriden."