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(Still time contribute to Cheshire Dems Inauguration Anniversary Celebration. Looking forward to seeing Hamsters and Candidates tonight in Keene. - promoted by Mike Hoefer)
During election cycles Cheshire County voters elect the highest percentage of Democrats of any county in New Hampshire. To keep that distinction, the Democratic Committee organizes events, conducts Get Out The Vote canvasses, and provides logistical support to Democratic candidates. Our political community spends time and money to ensure voters are exposed to Democratic candidates and their message.
This seat is ripe for a great Democratic Primary. In recent Presidential Primaries NH-02 has shown a slight preference for candidates such as Howard Dean and Barack Obama. Tapping in to that style of leadership and running that sort of a campaign may give newcomers a real shot. NH-02 is a couple of points in the D's favor out of the gate, so no need to be a centrist for centrism's sake.
It's time for the first Blue Hampshire Straw Poll on this race. Nascent campaigns hit your email list and post on your Facebook wall, let your supporters know that they should freep this poll!
This Poll contains names thrown around here that have not otherwise removed themselves from contention. Of course outcomes of this poll are not scientific as they only reflect the views of Blue Hampshire readers who choose to participate. Participation is free and easy (kinda like Sunday Morning) but you do need to be a registered user to play. Accounts in the upper 1800's are now available, get yours today.
Concord attorney Ann McLane Kuster confirmed she is "seriously considering" running. She didn't say so, but friends say it's unlikely she would run against Senate President Sylvia Larsen or Executive Councilor Debora Pignatelli, who are also weighing Senate and/or House options.
Concord state Rep. John DeJoie has also been making calls, and Nashua attorney Mike Atkins is being mentioned as a potential candidate, both for the House.
Others being recruited include former state Sen. Joe Foster, Lebanon Mayor Karen Liot Hill and Keene state Sen. Molly Kelly.
Adding: I think there's no doubt we will have a primary here in CD2. Which is as it should be. In the safest of our four federal seats, it makes the best sense to have the most progressive candidate emerge. And since Paul has been a progressive champion in the House, I'm not willing to have his seat, and my voice in Congress, take a step backwards in that respect.
(Bumped, because I love this picture. - promoted by Dean Barker)
Democratic candidates, family, and supporters get ready walk in the Swanzey Old Home Day Parade. Eagle eyed readers will be able to, in addition to Senator Kelly, spot Jack Pratt, Anna Tilton, and Deb Pignatelli.
On Thursday Tom Eaton of Keene filed for the Republican nomination for State Senator from District 10, covering Keene and surrounding towns from Chesterfield to Dublin, from Richmond to Surry. But this is his second campaign. The first one was a quasi-public campaign to get a job on the State Liquor Commission.
The threat and proposed deal was clear to anyone reading the papers. If John Lynch would give Eaton an appointment to the Commission, he wouldn't run - giving Democrat and Lynch supporter Molly Kelly an apparent clear path to re-election.
The Friday Sentinel mentioned the back-story:
Before deciding to enter the election, Eaton had also expressed interest in a vacant state liquor commission seat. "That hasn't happened, and you just can't wait," [Eaton] said.
Members of the General Court representing Keene, hosted by The Keene City Democrats, address a live and television audience Sunday night. After taking some cheap shots at Senator Kelly regarding her work on defining adequacy and it's cost, fellow dems quickly turned the forum into a pro-income tax lecture.
I first met Granny D -- just a few quick times -- in 1999 and 2000. I saw her again, and more often, in 2004 when she ran for United States Senate. For those who might forget, she was our Democratic Party nominee against Judd Gregg. Yes, he won, but she took the challenge to him. It was generally a tough year for Democrats.
Back then, I was fascinated by this somewhat short and unassuming woman who seemed to have a lot of get-up-and-go. I enjoyed campaigning for and voting for this visionary, very positive human being.
But only in the past two years or so have I seen her quite up close (REALLY close when she gives you the patented "Granny D Hug"), and come to know, better understand, and even get to love this 98 year old New Hampshire treasure who is made of gold.
I could write so much about her, but watching her for a couple of hours this past Thursday as she experienced one of her greatest victories -- the New Hampshire State Senate approving a bill that she and her cause has inspired -- kind of sums up all about her.
That legislation, House Bill 794, called "The Granny D Bill," creates a seven-member Commission to craft and recommend a public financing program for New Hampshire. Whether that can be done is not the question -- some dozen other states have similar programs for at least some of their candidates, and Maine, Arizona, and Connecticut have rather complete systems. And whether it WILL be done here is not the question -- it will be someday, because it is at least a partial answer to improving democracy and making it more accessible by more of our citizens. It will happen. It has to.
And all that is Granny D's cause. She says the same thing -- that this will happen -- that we must do this not for ourselves, but for our future, and our children. To hear her say that makes you believe that it will be done. Because it has to.
But what was remarkable this past Thursday was to see this energetic woman walk the halls of the New Hampshire State House, a building only a little more than twice her own age, with just a cane while leading her troop of supporters at a fast pace. More on that walk in a moment.
After being introduced to the Senate by Keene Senator Molly Kelly and Senate President Sylvia Larsen, she sat for close to an hour in the historic chamber for her bill to come up and be voted on. It passed unanimously after two speakers, one a Democrat (Senator Jackie Cilley of Barrington) and one a Republican (Senator Peter Bragdon of Milford) recommended passage. Then Granny D stood to the applause and thanks of a gallery full of her longtime supporters who came from throughout the state to cheer her on.
Then she stepped -- "ran" might be a better description -- out of the Senate into her crowd of backers while she answered questions from reporters. In the midst of all this commotion Governor John Lynch walked up the stairs going toward his office. He stopped for a moment to say hello to Granny D. It gave her a chance to corner him on her cause...(more below fold)
My name is Molly Kelly. I am the State Senator from District 10 in New Hampshire representing the southwestern part of the state. I was recently appointed to the Joint Legislative Task Force on Adequacy, an eight member panel of House and Senate members. We are traveling around the state seeking public input before presenting recommendations to the Legislature on how to define an adequate education.
The New Hampshire Supreme Court has directed the Legislature to define "adequate education" by July 1, 2007. The Court obligated the Legislature to give specific substantive content to the program it deems necessary to provide that "education" satisfies the requirements of Part II, Article 83 of the New Hampshire Constitution.
So far, the Joint Special Task Force has held four forums in various parts of the state, with the final fifth forum to be held in Claremont tomorrow, March 12 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Maple Avenue Elementary School, 210 Maple Avenue. If you are able to attend that forum, please come and share your thoughts with us.
In addition to the comments received at the forums, we are encouraging people to send written remarks to adequacy@leg.state.nh.us. For who were unable to travel to the forums or who cannot attend the Claremont forum, New Hampshire Public Television videotaped each of the forums around that state and they are available on its website at www.nhptv.org/outlook via streaming video.
Because there was not a forum in Cheshire County (the forum sites were determined before my appointment to the Task Force), I am making a special effort to seek input from my constituents. I have attended various coffees through my district in an effort to seek input from a diverse group of citizens. I have met with various groups including, parents, educators, health care providers, and business people. I also have encouraged constituents to contact me directly by email at molly.kelly@leg.state.nh.us.
I know that you have had some good discussion of the issue on Blue Hampshire and I have read all the past diaries and comments that I can.
I will be online for about an hour to read your comments and thoughts on the definition of adequacy (I will try to check in later on the thread as well). Remember this is my first time blogging and I may not be as quick as all of you are! I'd be happy to answer any questions about the process moving forward as well.
Calling all Blue Hamsters! Don't forget to stop by Sunday at one o'clock to get a chance to blog a question or concern in real time with State Senator Molly Kelly.
