LIBERTARIAN DEFEATS DEMOCRAT
IN CONSERVATIVE PRIMARY

Today, Bruce A. Martin, the Libertarian Party's candidate for NY State Assembly (3rd A.D.), soundly defeated I. W. Bianchi, the Republican-backed Democrat, in the Conservative Party primary election. Since there will be no Republican on the ballot, Martin, who lives in Middle Island will face two Patchogue Democrats in November: Bianchi, running on the Republican and Independence lines, and incumbent Deborah Mazzarelli (D, Patchogue) running on the Democrat and "Families First" lines.

In addition to the Conservative nomination, won today, Martin is already on the Libertarian line, along with Libertarian Party candiates John Bloom of Rocky Point for Brookhaven Town Council, Adele Bolger of Holbrook for Suffolk County Clerk, Christopher Garvey (Amityville) for Governor, and four other statewide candidates. In addition to his enrollment in the NY Conservative Party, Martin also belongs to The Libertarian Party and served as a delecate to its recent National Convention, where a resolution was passed calling for impeachment of President Clinton for his unconstitutional abuses of power. Although it is the third-largest political party in the US, with over 250 members in public office, and has run in all 50 states in most of the recent Presidential elections, the Libertarian Party is not yet recognized by the Board of Elections in NY.

In his victory statement, the Libertarian-Conservative candidate called upon "Republicans, Conservatives, Libertarians, and Independents to help defeat the two 'tax & spend' liberal Democrats in November, to begin the process of downsizing government and re-empowering the individual". Martin added that he supports Chris Garvey for Governor, over 'borrow & spend' Pataki, "because of Chris' strong stands for drastically reducing the amount of governance we get from Albany, eliminating the state Income Tax, and his staunch defese of ALL TEN Amendments of the Bill of Rights!"

Despite his shoestring, self-financed, campaign ("five figures, if you count the pennies"), and Bianchi's nuisance lawsuit (which he won, pro se -- see sidebar), Martin feels he was helped greatly by "tremendous dissension and disgust with the Conservative Party leadership, among the rank & file members". Bianchi, who also lost in today's Democratic party primary, had sent several mailings to Democrats, one of which described him as having made a "career" out of supporting Democratic principles; Martin's single mailing include a copy of this, which he credits with bring him the winning margin.

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