Awful

Sitcom-Worthy: Worst Ex-Husband Ever Runs Against Incumbent Wife In Election

Bad blood is all too common among former couples, but you rarely stumble upon an ex-husband so vengeful that he decides to compete in an election with his estranged wife.

But Mark Schimel of Long Island is doing just that, and I have a few guesses as to his motivation: He really wants to upset his ex-wife, would like to inspire a television series or “You’ve Got Mail”-esque rom-com, or is going through a mid-life crisis in his separation aftermath. No matter Mark’s driving force, he has decided to run for Nassau County State Assembly against Michelle Schimel, his estranged wife who has held the seat since 2007 and is in her third term. After 32 years together, Michelle and Mark split in 2011, but clearly the problems didn’t melt away when their romance did. They’re not legally divorced, but if anything could prompt a signing of the documents on Michelle’s part, it has to be this. He swears his race isn’t meant to be a “circus” and is “all about business,” but the only business here is none of ours.

Even Mark’s mom, who received a Mother’s Day card from Michelle for the holiday this year, finds the move by her son preposterous.

“I love her very much,” Mark’s mother told the New York Daily News of her daughter-in-law of more than three decades. “I can’t believe he’d do a thing like this. I’m going to talk to him.”

His slimy, conniving scheme is low on so many levels, but his mom says he doesn’t have a shot against well-liked wife Michelle:

“He’ll never win anything against Michelle. They [the voters] love her.”

Yeah, and let’s not forget that most people don’t have a whole lot of faith in a candidate who airs his dirty laundry in public and seems to run for office solely out of spite. Just a thought.

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