Mihos sets new run for governor

"I plan to be there for 2010, and I plan to be at the top of the ticket," said Mihos last night in a telephone interview with the Globe.

Mihos, who lives in West Yarmouth and owns convenience stores on Cape Cod, said his candidacy would be similar to his 2006 bid. He pledged to increase local aid dramatically, massively restructure state agencies, and lay off thousands of state employees.

Mihos, who has sought office as a Republican in the past, started hinting at another gubernatorial run last summer, when he moved his campaign website to christy2010.com. On Saturday, he posted an op-ed titled "A Stimulus For The Rest Of Us" to the conservative blog Red Mass Group, ending his post with the line: "Christy Mihos is a businessman, entrepreneur, and a candidate for governor."

Mihos, who was vice chairman of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority from 1999 to 2004, said Governor Deval Patrick and the Democrat-controlled Legislature have enacted taxes and policies that have hurt Massachusetts residents.

"They're increasing the sales tax, the gas tax, tolls at the Turnpike Authority at a time when people can't afford it," he said. "This will do incredible harm for Massachusetts. You put those together, and then you take a look at the amount of corruption that takes place every single day; people are looking for alternatives."

A spokesman for Patrick, who has said he will seek reelection, declined to comment on Mihos's announcement.

Barney Keller, spokesman for the state's Republican Party, said Mihos's message would probably resonate with those struggling in the harsh economic climate.

"Working families across the Commonwealth are tightening their belts, and they don't see the state government doing the same things," he said.

Keller said Patrick will face a tough fight against Mihos, or another Republican candidate, should one emerge.

"The problem for him in 2010 is that he's going to have to run with a record, and that's a record of higher taxes, of having tried to put a friend into a high-paying job," he said, referring to Patrick's appointment of state Senator Marian Walsh as assistant executive director at the Massachusetts Health and Educational Facilities Authority. Walsh ultimately declined the appointment.

"The problem for Governor Patrick in 2010 is that his words and his rhetoric are going to be compared with his record," Keller said.

Mihos said that as governor he would increase state aid to cities and towns, dedicating 40 percent of state revenue to municipalities. "If you look at local aid, which is the lifeblood of cities and town, these cities and towns are operating at 2002 levels. Their costs have gone up double digits since then."

Mihos said he expects the support of more Massachusetts residents in the 2010 gubernatorial race than in 2006, when he garnered 7 percent of the vote, because, he said, his policies are well-suited to address the state's current financial woes. He said the recession was not unforeseen at the start of Patrick's term, and said the governor and his administration have not acted appropriately to address them.

"We were talking about recessions in 2006, but they hadn't happened yet," he said. "Right now, as things get worse - and they will get worse - we think that people will be looking to a responsible businessperson who is looking for responsible reforms."

He said his sharp cuts would be aimed at inefficiencies statewide. He criticized talk of tax increases and Patrick's appointment of Walsh as examples of Beacon Hill taking advantage of Massachusetts residents.

"The state is awash in corruption, and the special interests are getting taken care of," Mihos said. "Working men and women and small businesses are taking the brunt of the hits right now."

He said he is entering the race early to challenge Beacon Hill politicians on a wide slate of issues. Calling his early action "a call to arms," he said major problems need to be remedied fast.

"The way it's going right now, there's not going to be enough time to do what we have to do," he said.