DEMOCRATS CAN'T AFFORD TO LOSE NH's SECOND DISTRICT
An Open Letter to New Hampshire Democrats by Ned Helms & Terry Shumaker
We disagree with Charlie Bass on most issues. But here is one thing we agree with him on: If Democrats don't hold New Hampshire's second congressional district - a district that voted for Barack Obama by 13 points in 2008 - then our party is in serious trouble here in New Hampshire, and all across the country.
Dick and Katrina Swett have done tremendous work for New Hampshire Democrats over the years, and they deserve our respect. But it is hard to ignore the fact that since 1980, New Hampshire has never had an election in which Charlie Bass or Dick or Katrina Swett were not running for something. In 2010, voters have made it perfectly clear what they are looking for: a new approach in Washington. Annie Kuster will bring just that.
Annie has built an unparalleled grassroots campaign, held over 100 house parties across the district, set records for her in-state fundraising support, and she promises to put people over politics-as-usual. In contrast, Katrina Swett lost to Charlie Bass by 16 points the last time she took him on, has demonstrated relatively little grassroots support, and has relied almost entirely on out-of-state financial support to fund her campaign.
There are big policy differences between these two candidates - Iraq, Afghanistan, the Bush tax cuts, a woman's right to choose, and more. Both of us support Annie because of her positions on the issues and her personal character. But as campaign veterans, we also know that there is no way Democrats can afford to lose this seat, and we believe Annie gives us our best chance to win it.
As a candidate, Annie could have rested on her previous success as Co-Chair for Women for Obama, but she didn't seek that narrow path to victory. She built a large tent, generating enthusiasm from every corner of our party (as the two of us can attest - Terry supported Secretary Clinton in the last primary; Ned supported President Obama).
Annie could have also focused only on her primary race against Katrina Swett, but instead, she built her entire campaign with an eye towards winning in November. Annie hustled, and thanks to her deep New Hampshire ties and longstanding work in the state's charitable community, she has already won endorsements from prominent Independents and open-minded Republicans in every single corner of the district. These include community leaders like former gubernatorial candidate Dr. Jim Squires in Hollis; Jim & Judy Putnam in Keene; Former GOP Senate President Ralph Hough in Lebanon; Former GOP State Rep. Liz Hager in Concord; Hillary Cleveland, wife of former Republican Congressman Jim Cleveland in New London; and Peter Powell in Lancaster, whose father served as a Republican Governor of the state. The list goes on and on.
Combined with Annie's widespread support in the progressive community, this is what a winning coalition looks like.
Finally, Annie refuses to be typecast or pigeonholed. She has endorsements from beer and wine drinkers alike, from the League of Conservation Voters to New Hampshire's Firefighters and Carpenters. She is a strong voice in support of the public insurance option, and one of the reasons is because she is a frugal Yankee who knows the importance of reducing the deficit. And she doesn't shy away from the fact that her parents were Republicans - or the fact that her mom had the independence to be a "Republican for Clinton" back in the 1990s.
We are reluctant to criticize our good friend Katrina Swett, so we will be brief: her campaign has been disappointing. She has not done what she needed to do to show why voters will react differently to her in this contest than in her failed campaign in 2002, in which she underperformed Senator Shaheen's campaign that year by nearly 20 points. Like in 2002, every major pro-choice group has again declined to support her - a critical constituency that we simply cannot win without in November. And notably, she made a serious blunder attacking Annie for her lobbying work when Katrina ran a lobbying firm herself ("Katrina Swett & Associates").
In contrast to Katrina, Annie has built an unparalleled, issues-based grassroots campaign - the kind it will take to win in the fall. Already, a full majority of Democratic state lawmakers in the district have endorsed her in the primary. She built her campaign on house parties and small-dollar contributions, and she's been more successful at it than anyone in recent memory. When Annie says "people over politics" it isn't just a slogan - she is putting it into practice every day in her people-powered, home-grown campaign and her cross-party support. Annie offers the fresh face and new approach that we need to win in November, whether against a lifelong Washington insider like Charlie Bass or a Sarah Palin-hopeful like Jennifer Horn.
We can't afford to lose this race. Annie Kuster has proven she is our strongest candidate. Let's get it right on September 14th.
Ned Helms served as Chair of the NH Democratic Party; Terry Shumaker, a former United States Ambassador, was a member of the Democratic National Committee. Both men have lead numerous presidential and other campaigns in the Granite State.
