CAMBRIDGE (AP) -- Christy Mihos, a Republican who made millions through his family's convenience store chain, plans to formally enter this fall's Massachusetts gubernatorial race as an independent, a top political adviser said Wednesday.
The purposely spartan announcement will be made Thursday evening in front of the Statehouse, Mihos himself said earlier in the day. He did not return calls later Wednesday.
"Christy is economically conservative and socially liberal. He is a true independent," said Peter Pendergast, the Mihos campaign manager. "The largest bloc of voters in the state -- the 49 percent who are unenrolled -- are similarly independent. The voters of Massachusetts have a history of electing the best candidate."
Running as an independent, which could draw votes from Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey, a Republican who essentially controls the state GOP apparatus, won't be the only way Mihos shakes up an otherwise staid race.
During an appearance Wednesday before hundreds at a biotechnology conference, Mihos made off-color jokes that left audience members shaking their head or holding their hand to their mouth. Standing just feet away from Democrats Tom Reilly and Deval Patrick -- who both recently had financial problems affect their campaigns -- he also joked that he had paid all his taxes.
And after acknowledging that he once testified under oath he would not run for governor because his wife objected, Mihos pointed to her across the ballroom and said: "I'm looking at her and she made a deal: She said, `You can do whatever you want as long as I can have a new wardrobe.' It's going to cost more to fund her wardrobe than it is to fund my campaign, I think."
Under Massachusetts law, Mihos has to gather the signatures of 10,000 registered voters by Aug. 1 to appear as a nonparty candidate on the November general election ballot. He also has to disenroll from the Republican Party by March 7.
Mihos, the third-generation operator of the Christy's Market convenience store chain, has already seeded his campaign with $70,000 in personal contributions. He also announced after an appearance before the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council that he would not accept contributions from lobbyists, state contractors, state employees and political action committees.
The 56-year-old was once fired from the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority for opposing a toll increase, only to be reinstated after a legal battle that reached the state Supreme Judicial Court.
"I will be unbought and unbossed," he declared. "Every single voice in the commonwealth will have an equal voice."
Later, before Pendergast revealed work of his decision on party affiliation, Mihos said his announcement would be an understated affair, "no confetti guns, no balloons, no nothing."
At the same time, he seemed to acknowledge the challenge before him, speaking of his candidacy in tentative terms.
"I hope you'll be with me if lighting strikes and I'm lucky enough next January to move this forward," he told the biotech audience.
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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