BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – If Christy Mihos, the Cape Cod convenience store chain owner and former Independent candidate for governor, decides to run again in 2010 as a Republican, he’ll have some convincing to do among the state GOP.

[img_assist|nid=659|title=Christy Mihos (I)|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=164|height=158]Mihos, of Yarmouth, poured significant personal resources into his 2006 gubernatorial run as an Independent. In that campaign, he was critical of his opponents, Democrat Deval Patrick of Milton and Republican Kerry Healey of Beverly, and their respective parties. Mihos garnered 7 percent of the vote in that race.

Since then, Mihos has stoked the political rumor mill by becoming the first candidate to suggest he will challenge Patrick in 2010, this time as a Republican.

But Mihos’ past criticism of the GOP hasn’t been forgotten among the Massachusetts Republicans here.

“Anyone that would run as an Independent and not support the Party nominee should not even consider running again as a Republican,” said Robert Magovern, a delegate from Agawam.

Magovern said a GOP gubernatorial nominee has to earn the respect of the party and Mihos undercut his chances by criticizing Healey in 2006.

“He’s got a lot of fences to mend,” added Joe McDonald, a delegate from Kingston. “Personally, I don’t appreciate a lot of the things he did last time around.”

McDonald was the second delegate to tell PolitickerMA.com that he didn’t know Mihos was considering carrying the GOP banner in 2010.

John Steffian, the husband of alternate delegate Frances Steffian, chuckled when asked about Mihos. “Interesting,” he said. “It would be a new face for Christy.”

Steffian said joined the Republican Party in support of U.S. Rep. Ron Paul’s (R-Texas) Libertarian-themed run for the presidency. Mihos previous independence from the state GOP, however, doesn’t appeal to him the same way Paul’s breaking with the national party did.

Others, however, said Mihos has a shot at garnering support within the GOP. McDonald noted that he would be interested “in hearing what [Mihos] has to say” and Brian Burke, an alternate delegate from Stow, said “he’d be a lot more welcome to us as a Republican than as an Independent.”

Michael Scully, an alternate delegate from Grafton, said the GOP will be open-minded when it comes time to consider potential nominees for 2010. “It’s something that we’d have to look at as a party,” he said.

Scully also said that Mihos previous criticism of the GOP could actually play well politically in the Bay State, where Democrats are the party in power. m“In a state like Massachusetts,” he said, “I think that it would actually work for him.”

Read Mihos' response here.