NH-02: Kuster, Karen & Co.

Agreed (4.00 / 5)

Should be an interesting cycle.

The era of "Will Any Democrat Please Please Please Run?" is over in New Hampshire.  I can't remember the last time we had a competitive 3+ candidate Democratic primary for major office.  Was it the 1990 Senate race (Durkin, Donchess, Rauh)?

---

by: Dartmouth Dem @ Thu Feb 05, 2009 at 06:39:31 AM CST

Great Point (4.00 / 5)

The more great Democrats out there who run, the stronger we become.  Let's just make sure we don't get too negative about any of the potential candidates, and that we focus on the positives of the candidate(s) each of us choose as our preference.  There's room for lots of views in our auditorium.  

---

by: Rep. Jim Splaine @ Thu Feb 05, 2009 at 06:57:32 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Although this is where (4.00 / 3)

we need an earlier state primary...

Move the primary up a couple months and I'm totally in favor of contesting it every which way.  Keep it where it is, and thinning the field becomes a lot more important.

---

by: Laura Clawson @ Thu Feb 05, 2009 at 15:31:11 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Control (0.00 / 0)

Mechanism Controls the scheduling. Is it RSA or Party Bylaw?

Hope > Fear




Create a free Blue Hampshire account and join the conversation.

---

by: Mike Hoefer @ Thu Feb 05, 2009 at 19:23:04 PM CST

[ Parent ]

rsa (0.00 / 0)

---

by: elwood @ Thu Feb 05, 2009 at 21:46:08 PM CST

[ Parent ]

RSA 653:8 (4.00 / 1)

Sorry Elwood, I've got season tickets to the House Election Law Committee.

One day i'll finally get the lobbyists to join me in doing the wave.  

---

by: Andrew Sylvia @ Fri Feb 06, 2009 at 00:18:02 AM CST

[ Parent ]

if the parties want to have a state primary... (0.00 / 0)

They have to have it on the 2nd Tuesday of September in "every even-numbered year."  RSA 653:8

The law is a little ambiguous on this point-- and this is something no sane party (or even the Republican Party) would ever do-- but it appears that the parties do have the option of having a nominating convention instead of a primary election.

A party which doesn't hold a primary would have to submit petitions papers for its candidates. Parties which fail to get more than 4% of the vote for at least one major office in a recent general election are not even eligible to participate in a state primary.

The date of the Presidential Primary is fixed by statute as the Second Tuesday in March, unless it needs to be earlier to keep us at least a week ahead of every other Primary state, in which case the Secretary of State will set an earlier date.

There is little or no interest in making the state primary date earlier.  The late primary date is currently one of the arguments being made by the Democrats on the Election Law commitee to kill a bill (HB626) requiring photo IDs for voters.  That bill would have mandated provisional ballots for people who show up at either a  primary or general election without ID, which would be opened and counted if they showed up with 10 days after election day with an ID.  Aside from the fact that there are currently no provisional ballots in NH, HB626 wouldn't have left much time for the general election ballots to be be finalized.

-----

Thanks for all the fish

-----

---

by: TimothyHorrigan @ Fri Feb 06, 2009 at 08:35:14 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Good research project: (0.00 / 0)

How much - if at all - does the date of the primary affect the performance of the winner of a contested primary?

We assume a September primary doesn't give the party time to heal. What does the data, from 50 states, tell us though?

---

by: elwood @ Thu Feb 05, 2009 at 21:49:08 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Use $$$ as an independent variable in the research project (4.00 / 1)

Money is the biggest problem with a late primary, not "healing".  Many givers -- especially national parties, but also many unions -- don't take sides in contested primaries, thus forcing winners to raise large sums of cash while putting together a general election campaign on the fly, with only six weeks to get it all done.  

Based on my observations, the late date is less of a factor when (a) the winner has lots of cash on hand, like Swett '96 or Sununu '02; (b) a well-financed coordinated campaign -- including media and field support -- offers up an efficient buffer during the early days of the general election campaign; and (c) a huge  partisan landslide dwarfs any financial gaps between the candidates (e.g. Bass '94, CSP '06).  

Them's my thoughts. . . .  

---

by: Dartmouth Dem @ Fri Feb 06, 2009 at 06:20:27 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Good research project: (0.00 / 0)

How much - if at all - does the date of the primary affect the performance of the winner of a contested primary?

We assume a September primary doesn't give the party time to heal. What does the data, from 50 states, tell us though?

---

by: elwood @ Thu Feb 05, 2009 at 21:49:08 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Juen 15th...time to heal (0.00 / 0)

I totally hate September primary...talking about this at dinner last night with the family. Now that is serious.
Very good point.

We represent the Lollypop Guild, the Lollypop Guild, the Lollypop guild.

---

by: JonnyBBad @ Thu Feb 05, 2009 at 22:31:56 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Nah, Have It At The Same General Time As The Presidential Primary Or Don't Have It At All (0.00 / 0)

State Primaries are generally meaningless. In Merrimack, we had around 7% voter turnout this time around, and I was surprised it was that high. The only contested race was already a foregone conclusion.  

---

by: Andrew Sylvia @ Fri Feb 06, 2009 at 00:21:22 AM CST

[ Parent ]

A ha! (0.00 / 0)

"The only contested race was already a foregone conclusion."

This is not always the case with low voter turnout! Low voter turnout can lead to surprises!

Merrimack's in Hillsborough County, though. There was a contested Register of Deeds race that wasn't a foregone conclusion. On the Republican ballot, there was the Congressional nomination that was relatively important for their party.

---

by: Alex Gallichon @ Fri Feb 06, 2009 at 01:22:04 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Maybe I Should Expand This In A Diary (0.00 / 0)

I gotta start writing diaries again. When the conclusion doesn't really matter, the fact that it's contested doesn't matter. In regards to the Congressional race, I'll try to write that on this diary and in regards to the Registrar of Deeds race, i'm willing to bet you that 99% of the voters have no idea what a Registrar of Deeds does, or if it truly is "Register" or "Registrar".

We did have 10 people going for 8 State Rep slots on the Republican side, but it consisted of

-6 of the 7 incumbents
-Former Chair of the Select Board
-Former Selectman from the 90s
-Some Guy
-Peter Jennings (Yeah, I know. I thought he was the ABC News guy and I thought he died too. I don't think it's the same Peter Jennings, but nobody saw this Peter Jennings so it may actually be him.)  

So, you had 8 people who people knew, and 2 people who nobody knew, one of which people confused with a dead person running for 8 slots.  

---

by: Andrew Sylvia @ Fri Feb 06, 2009 at 07:54:33 AM CST

[ Parent ]

we had a candidate for Registrar of Deeds (0.00 / 0)

We had a contested primary recently for Registrar of Deeds in one of our counties where the challenger made up signs saying "Register of Deeds" rather than "Registrar of Deeds". Oops!


-----

Thanks for all the fish

-----

---

by: TimothyHorrigan @ Fri Feb 06, 2009 at 08:07:09 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Art. 71 and Art. 72 (4.00 / 2)

of the NH Constitution say "register of deeds."

---

by: Alex Gallichon @ Fri Feb 06, 2009 at 10:03:36 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Ahh, But Webster's Dictionary.... (0.00 / 0)

Says "Registrar".

I wrote a diary about this last year, but I don't feel like finding it right now.

It's the po-tay-to/po-tat-toe/repeat with other vegetables/let's call the whole thing off situation.

The Whatever of Deeds and Probate should be appointed.  

---

by: Andrew Sylvia @ Fri Feb 06, 2009 at 23:30:55 PM CST

[ Parent ]

NH Constitution (0.00 / 0)

predates Noah Webster's dictionary. Webster's actively and intentionally modified the spelling of a lot of words to make English simpler. It's part of the reason American convention no longer favors u's in words like favour. Maybe not the case with registrar/register, but with such ancient ideas, Webster's is not a good authority.

I disagree that the Whatever of Deeds should be appointed, but that's a topic for a whole different diary...

---

by: Alex Gallichon @ Sat Feb 07, 2009 at 01:08:00 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Pre-Memorial Day is Better (0.00 / 0)

An early spring primary - how about the first Tuesday after the first Monday of May? - would be a better move if we wanted to go early. By June 15th, most of the state's colleges have closed for the season and many students, faculty and staff have departed.

Sure, they can vote absentee, but, given the traditionally small turnout in state primaries, I wouldn't want to disenfranchise thousands of loyal and active Democrats.

---

by: Tim Ashwell @ Fri Feb 06, 2009 at 09:17:48 AM CST

[ Parent ]

good point (0.00 / 0)

i had not thought of the students...

We represent the Lollypop Guild, the Lollypop Guild, the Lollypop guild.

---

by: JonnyBBad @ Fri Feb 06, 2009 at 14:46:20 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Maybe not (0.00 / 0)

I have complained abouit the early primaries, but, they can also be helpful in terms of giving potential candidates more time to make up their minds. For every month you push up, you move up the filing period, which may hurt a lot with getting candidates for down ticket offices. Or not. But something to add to the equation.  



"When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."  Franklin D. Roosevelt    

---

by: Kathy Sullivan 2 @ Fri Feb 06, 2009 at 09:32:23 AM CST

[ Parent ]

New faces are always good. (4.00 / 1)

If Maine has prevented us from having the first majority-female delegation, and Paul prevents us from having the first all-female delegation, (assuming that he selfishly puts his own narrow interests before those of New Hampshire and refuses to undergo sexual reassignment surgery), perhaps we can be the first state to have had a woman in every seat in the delegation.

Certainly CD2 wouldn't want to lag six years behind CD1 in that respect, now would we?

---

by: Tim C. @ Thu Feb 05, 2009 at 12:22:47 PM CST

Compare and Contrast: GOP's concept of Democracy (4.00 / 1)

"I would think that he (Sununu #2) has the right of first refusal on the nomination," Cullen said, and others agree.

---

by: Tim C. @ Thu Feb 05, 2009 at 13:08:03 PM CST

Will Geography Be Destiny? (0.00 / 0)

Here is a possible line up of female contenders with vote centers in the 2CD:

Nashua: Pignatelli or Gilmour
Keene: Kelly
Concord: Larsen (or McLane/Kuster)
Upper Valley: Liot Hill or Almy
Plymouth: Reynolds
Tilton: Sgambatti
Sort of not geographically bound: Swett

And, if CSP runs for senate, in the 1CD:
Manchester: DeVries or Soucy
Portsmouth: Martha Fuller Clark or Speaker Norelli
Exeter: Hassan
Mt. Washington Valley: Susan Bruce (I knew you would laugh at that, Susan!!) or Robin gordon
Rochester/Somersworth: Cilley
Laconia: Sgambatti (she would have to move from Tilton)
Hampton: Hollingworth
Durham: Merrill

"When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."  Franklin D. Roosevelt    

---

by: Kathy Sullivan 2 @ Thu Feb 05, 2009 at 13:11:34 PM CST

Marchand to get implants ! (0.00 / 0)

pics at 2:15 am

We represent the Lollypop Guild, the Lollypop Guild, the Lollypop guild.

---

by: JonnyBBad @ Thu Feb 05, 2009 at 22:33:29 PM CST

[ Parent ]

NH-2 (0.00 / 0)

When was the last time New Hampshire had a congressperson who lived north of Concord?  I think Deb Reynolds would make a great candidate for Congress, although I haven't read about her much on here.

Thanks.

---

by: northcountry @ Fri Feb 06, 2009 at 00:04:46 AM CST

[ Parent ]

NH Congressmen from North of Concord. . . . (4.00 / 2)

Off the top of my head, I can think of Jim Cleveland (New London), Bob Smith (Tuftonboro), Bill Zeliff (Jackson), and Jeb Bradley (Wolfboro), Tom McIntyre (Laconia), Chet Merrow (Ossipee), and J. Oliva Huot (?).

Given the state's population distribution, the North Country hasn't done too badly during the past half-century.

---

by: Dartmouth Dem @ Fri Feb 06, 2009 at 06:11:08 AM CST

[ Parent ]

and Carol Shea Porter, too! (0.00 / 0)

Her home town of Rochester is technically slightly north of Concord... though not by much.

-----

Thanks for all the fish

-----

---

by: TimothyHorrigan @ Fri Feb 06, 2009 at 08:02:06 AM CST

[ Parent ]

NH-2 (4.00 / 1)

I guess the better question would have been -- How often has New Hampshire had a Democratic congressperson from the North Country?  Most of the names mentioned above are Republicans, and of course, Rep. Shea-Porter is from the Seacoast region.  When people in central and northern NH say "north of Concord," we generally mean north of Laconia.  I think it's time for somebody different, and I'm hoping for a dark horse candidacy from Deb Reynolds.

As far as Katrina Swett goes, I don't think having "the house run in one's blood" is a qualifier for a seat in Congress.  I don't even know if it's an attribute.  She loss so badly to Charlie Bass in 2002 that it might even be a disqualifying factor if she chooses to vie for the spot.  It's time for some new blood.  Enough with losing candidates trying to redeem themselves.

---

by: northcountry @ Fri Feb 06, 2009 at 18:50:03 PM CST

[ Parent ]

2000 shouldn't count (0.00 / 0)

It was a mutant year.

Paul Hodes ran and lost, then ran and won. Senator Shaheen ran and lost, then ran and won. Maggie Hassan is an example of a state senator who lost the first time and won the second. Martha Fuller Clark lost a congressional race but now is a great state senator.  

I don't have a filly in this race, but sometimes losing makes one come back stronger. Or not (Bradley).  



"When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."  Franklin D. Roosevelt    

---

by: Kathy Sullivan 2 @ Fri Feb 06, 2009 at 19:35:30 PM CST

[ Parent ]

I meant 2002 n/t (0.00 / 0)

"When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."  Franklin D. Roosevelt    

---

by: Kathy Sullivan 2 @ Fri Feb 06, 2009 at 19:51:01 PM CST

[ Parent ]

North of Laconia (0.00 / 0)

is pretty broad.

There's a distinct difference--cultural or environment, I don't know--depending on which side of the mountains you live on. I don't think of any thing south of the notch as the north country, myself.

---

by: Alex Gallichon @ Fri Feb 06, 2009 at 19:56:45 PM CST

[ Parent ]

ugh (0.00 / 0)

franconia notch, that is

---

by: Alex Gallichon @ Fri Feb 06, 2009 at 19:56:58 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Good project - (0.00 / 0)

Crunch the numbers.

My guess is Littleton's Hugh Gallen puts the North Country over its fair share in major state offices all by his lonesome.

---

by: elwood @ Fri Feb 06, 2009 at 20:21:51 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Hugh was from all the way up theah? (0.00 / 0)

That's awesome.

birch, finch, beech

---

by: Dean Barker @ Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 17:20:25 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Impressive! (0.00 / 0)

I seem to recall reading Huot was also Laconia. (I'm not Googling, in the spirit of your post.)

---

by: elwood @ Fri Feb 06, 2009 at 18:58:37 PM CST

[ Parent ]

as long as we are randomly tossing around names of talented people who live in CD2 (0.00 / 0)

Katrina Swett (Bow) & Jay Buckey (Hanover or Lebanon, I forget which) ran for the US Senate two years ago, and are presumably ready for a US House run. The House runs in Swett's blood: her husband Dick Swett and her late father Tom Lantos both served.

Swett has been lobbying for an anti-gambling campaign here in NH.  Jim Rubens (also from Hanover) has also been working on that effort and even though he has served in Concord as a Republican, he could plausibly switch parties.  He's a bit of a loose cannon, but he would if nothing else be fun to watch. He is never dull.

Mark Fernald (who has like Rubens & Swett fought against casinos in the past) ran for Governor in 2002 and lost by a wide margin to the disgraceful Craig Benson.  He is still out there somewhere near Peterborough and he is actually a terrific campaigner.

I don't know if Lee Bollinger, the President of Columbia University, still had property in Hanover. (Dartmouth was the previous stop on his academic career.)  But he feels like retiring from that career, Hanover would be a logical place to return to and running for office might be a good thing for him to do.  If you want someone who looks good, sounds good, knows the issues and knows how to raise money--- he's your guy.

I can think of several others and it's not even my CD.


-----

Thanks for all the fish

-----

---

by: TimothyHorrigan @ Fri Feb 06, 2009 at 09:04:39 AM CST

AMK has the chops (0.00 / 0)

If you go with ability, not whether their name has been in the Union Leader a couple of years ago....

Ann M. Kuster clearly has the performance skills this party needs in a candidate.  Fernald is emphatic about what he believes, but just not persuasive enough.  Haven't seen enough of Pignatelli to say, guessing not enough.  Seen barely more of Larsen.  Not yet impressed.  DGMW, I'm likely to support any Dem against any Repub. in 2010, don't like how the GOP has gone full-tilt even FURTHER to the right, into deep seas of denial that a core Repub belief -- deregulation -- caused this problem.

Just going on speaker points alone, I've seen Fernald up close once, and Kuster several times.  Kuster is just plain better, and Fernald ain't bad.

But frankly, if I'm right that de-regulation caused this recession, then it'll take years to set right again.  You don't rebuild confidence overnight, you just can't.  The trick, therefore, is to keep the focus on reforming society.  Defend taxation itself, possibly.  Defend government regulation on high finance (including and especially antitrust suits), definitely.
And Gddmit, fix health insurance.  The current model, based on car and real estate insurance, is deeply, deeply flawed, and it must be fixed.

Just remember: the Repub's are in love with this thing called "the market".  
But I call it a panic, not a market.

Independent in Henniker who votes Blue.

---

by: Henniker Indep @ Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 17:05:03 PM CST

[ Parent ]