This election, Senator Edward Kennedy is running for his 7th term in the United States Senate. And his biggest challenger so far is not a Republican, but a Libertarian. Libertarian candidate Carla Howell, a management and strategy consultant is so far Kennedy's leading contender for the Massachusetts U.S. Senate seat.
Ms. Howell, who holds a BS in Math/Computer Science and an MBA, has been in the private sector for over 24 years working in engineering and marketing positions for high technology and health related companies. She ran for Massachusetts state auditor in 1998, and garnered 6% of the vote, which gave the Libertarians major party status in Massachusetts.
Ms. Howell's campaign is centered on the theme "Small Government is Beautiful." And she means it. Her campaign is focused on making the government "so small, we don't need an income tax." Obviously, this puts her ideas in frequent opposition to those of Senator Kennedy's.
The overwhelming popularity of Senator Kennedy hasn't stopped Ms. Howell from running a tough campaign. She has raised over $500,000, and has begun a series of tough radio ads and press releases targeting Kennedy's role in the Big Dig-blaming him for the financial troubles and traffic problems that have been associated with the project. And since the state GOP has refused to endorse the Republican candidate, Jack E. Robinson, Ms. Howell has been fighting for-and receiving-support from many traditionally Republican voters in the state. However, the State Republican Party has refused to endorse Ms. Howell because of her opposition to the War on Drugs.
Her campaign is also targeting the state's 1.5 million gun owners. Ms. Howell has appeared at several gun and sporting clubs where she cited her support of the 2nd Amendment and her opposition to gun control. In one of her press releases, she stated, "Gun ownership means that single moms can protect themselves and their children from stalkers and rapists. Gun ownership means that the elderly and frail can defend themselves against thugs who break down their doors. Gun ownership means that minority families can protect themselves when their 911 calls go unanswered." This is a far cry from Senator Kennedy's support of extensive gun control legislation.
So far in her campaign, Ms. Howell has garnered several endorsements, including Bill Downing, President of Mass Cann, which is affiliate of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML); Richard Egan, the Founder and Chairman of the EMC Corporation; Boston Globe columnist Jeff Jacoby; Jack Durkin, President of the Gun Owners Action League, and many others.
Ms. Howell's next major campaign appearances will be at the Autumn Airfest and Music Festival in Fitchburg next weekend. She is also a featured speaker at the Mass Cann Freedom Rally, which will be held Saturday, September 16 at noon on Boston Common. The rally is a protest event against the War on Drugs.
For more information about Carla Howell, visit her web site at: