The independent challenger to Massachusetts U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern is acknowledging his campaign faces an uphill battle.
But Shrewsbury resident Cornelius Shea said it was important to jump in the race when it looked like McGovern, a Worcester Democrat, would otherwise run unopposed in November.
"Just felt like it was the right time. The Republican candidate dropped out of the race [and] I found out that Jim McGovern was running unopposed," Shea said in an interview Friday. "And what I did is I was able to get 3,200 signatures in about three and a half weeks to get on the ballot ... as an independent candidate."
Shea said he is a retired educator in the Worcester Public Schools and a Marine veteran.
"I probably would have quit this [campaign] a long time ago, but I'm one of — as they say — I'm one of Uncle Sam's misguided children. That's kind of a nickname for the Marine Corps. We don't give up. And I'm going to fight a real good race," he said. "I can't promise you I'm going to win, because God knows, they made it really, really, really tough."
In particular, Shea points to McGovern's fundraising advantage, and recent rounds of redistricting that brought more liberal areas of Hampshire and Franklin County into the Worcester-based congressional district.
Shea said he was born in Springfield and spent his early days there. He moved east when he was 5 years old and now lives in Shrewsbury.
"I have a lot of connections in western Mass.," he said. "I have a lot of people working for me in the Greenfield area that [are] keeping me apprised of the situation. I've been to Northampton four or five times. We have standouts out there. I have a cousin that's a professor at UMass that I'm in contact with. I'm learning a lot about the area."
Shea said he was raised to be a Democrat, but objected to what he described as the party's "progressive" shift.
"I didn't like a lot of what I was seeing. So what I did is I became an independent, and that way I would always put country over party," Shea said.
The first Republican he voted for, Shea said, was Ronald Reagan for president.
"The Democratic Party lost their way and that's why I'm an independent," he said.
McGovern tells NEPM's The Fabulous 413 he doesn't know much about the challenger. But the Worcester Democrat said he believes Shea holds "very conservative" positions.
"We'll see," McGovern said. "I've never met him."
On the issues, Shea accused Democrats of "roll[ing] out the red carpet" to unauthorized immigrants, in an effort to "get votes."
Such fraudulent voting is exceptionally rare, according to numerous studies. In the interview, Shea insisted otherwise, and he criticized McGovern for opposing the SAVE Act, which would require proof of citizenship to register to vote.
McGovern has called that bill an effort by Republicans to suppress the vote.
"These are MAGA Republican talking points at their finest," the congressman's campaign said in a statement. "Republicans want to suppress the vote and sow distrust in our democratic institutions so they can try to overturn the results if they lose."
Shea also wants term limits for members of Congress — six terms for the U.S. House and two terms for the Senate.
"I think [McGovern has] been down there too long," Shea said. "We really need term limits, because what happens is — our founding fathers never intended for career politicians."
A McGovern campaign spokesperson said the congressman opposes "arbitrary limits decided by lawmakers."
"We already have term limits every two years, they're called elections," the spokesperson said in an email.
The two candidates also differ on the presidential race. McGovern supports the Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris. Shea is backing former President Donald Trump.
"I wish there would be better choices. I mean, if we have a President Harris, it's just going to be a lot more the same," Shea said. "There's no other choice [than to support Trump]."
Shea points to the impeachments, criminal charges and convictions, and the assassination attempt that injured Trump.
"Any other guy would have given up. But this guy just keeps fighting and keeps swinging," Shea said. "I mean, it's just amazing what he's been through. And he's still willing to serve."
Shea said he is trying to self-finance most of his campaign. He has not yet disclosed any financial information to the Federal Election Commission.
McGovern had just over $350,000 in his primary campaign account, as of the middle of August, and another $6,000 in his political action committee, MAC PAC.
