Political Notes: Down with Me

Meldrim Thomson, a former Governor of New Hampshire, was in the odd position of having to run against himself in the race for the statehouse. The political reversal began during the primary, when two of the nine candidates refused to take "the pledge," a campaign promise customarily made by New Hampshire gubernatorial candidates to veto sales or broad-based income taxes. Determined to protect the state's tradition, Republican Thomson came out of political retirement and filed as an independent. But the Republican nominee turned out to be John Sununu, a conservative ally. Fearing his candidacy could drain enough votes from Sununu to re-elect Democratic Incumbent Hugh Gallen (who refused to take the pledge this time), Thomson tried to withdraw but it was too late. His self-defeating campaign worked: Thomson got only 2% of the vote and Sununu upset Gallen.