PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN dissed the New Hampshire presidential primary last week when he signed up to run in the Nevada primary in February.
The timing was not by coincidence. The Biden team chose to make their first official act as a presidential campaign on Wednesday, the day New Hampshire’s candidate filing season opened.
The Democratic National Committee’s preferred calendar put Nevada’s and New Hampshire’s primaries on the same day, four days after South Carolina.
The DNC also has demanded New Hampshire repeal its first primary law or face getting pushed back a month after Super Tuesday.
Nevada hasn’t had a primary since 1980 after party leaders decided to hold caucuses instead.
But that doesn’t matter. The DNC calendar isn’t about respecting tradition or rewarding competence. It’s all about teeing up a process that wires Biden’s re-nomination.
In 2020, Biden finished second in the Nevada caucuses, giving him a lift following blowout losses in the Iowa caucus and the New Hampshire primary.
A short time later, Biden romped to victory in South Carolina and coasted to his convention victory.
Craig wins over educators
Democratic candidate for governor Joyce Craig has used her experience to attract more than 250 current and former educators from all 10 New Hampshire counties.
Craig chaired the city school board during her six years in office.
“I know as governor, Mayor Craig will deliver for students and their families and send a strong message in the face of dangerous attacks that she will always defend our public schools,” said Kerry Aube of Walpole.
The list includes teachers, paraprofessionals, tutors, professors, school administrators and school board members.
State Rep. Corinne Cascadden, D-Berlin, a former school superintendent of that North Country city, said, “Joyce Craig is committed to ensuring that every New Hampshire student has access to quality public education, no matter where they live,” Cascadden said.
Nancy Gati, who taught school in Manchester for 37 years, said Craig made a difference improving education quality.
The issue is likely to become a major one in this race.
Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut’s term comes up a few months after the next governor takes office, which would give a Democrat the chance to quickly transition to new leadership.
The next governor also will have enough appointments to secure a majority on the state Board of Education.
Then there are the two ongoing lawsuits over education funding, which will factor in to what the next governor decides to do about state aid to public schools in the near future.
Craig’s critics in this race no doubt will point to Manchester students’ poor scores on assessment tests.
In math, only 14% of Queen City students were proficient, compared to the statewide average of 38%.
The reading scores tell a similar story, with 27% of Manchester students proficient compared to 52% of all New Hampshire youths.
Short-term deflation at pump
A prominent gas station in Salem will sell regular unleaded gasoline for $2.38 a gallon for a limited time on Thursday.
The state chapter of Americans for Prosperity is applauding the move.
The Mobil station at 4-6 Mall Road is owned by former Senate President Arthur Klemm.
The price is the national average the day Biden took office.
The discount will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Customers can’t fill up gas cans or RVs.
Super PAC starts digital ads
AFP Action, the national organization’s super PAC, last week began a heavy rotation of digital ads critical of both former President Donald Trump and Biden.
This follows up on a series of anti-Trump mailers and radio ads critical of the former president.
Later this fall, the national AFP is expected to endorse another major GOP contender.
Pro-life Dem stumps in NH
Biden has attracted a New Hampshire primary opponent dedicated to backing legal restrictions on abortions.
Terrisa Bukonvinac, who calls herself a “progressive Democrat,” believes the party needs to amend its national platform, which does not oppose abortion at any point during a pregnancy.
“Those who oppose late-term abortions like myself are in the mainstream of the party and this country,” she told reporters.
Jason Hennessey, president of New Hampshire Right to Life, praised Bukonvinac for stepping forward.
“Terrisa’s candidacy highlights the need for the Democratic party to make space for the 90% of Americans who want to protect children in the womb,” he said in a statement.
Summit sponsors chip in
Along with some of the candidates, several private businesses and political groups chipped in to help underwrite the cost of the New Hampshire Republican Leadership Summit held in Nashua on Friday and Saturday.
They included the PBM (Pharmacy Benefit Manager) Accountability Project, Net Choice, Turning Point Action, www.defendourkids.org, A.J. Letizio Sales and Marketing Inc. of Windham, U.S. Term Limits, Commitments to Seniors, Log Cabin Republicans and the state GOP parties in Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut.
Deadlock on deployment
The New Hampshire House State-Federal Relations Committee last week deadlocked over legislation that would prevent the president from deploying the National Guard to a military exercise without a vote of Congress authorizing the mission.
After the vote, State Rep. Tom Mannion, R-Pelham, said he remains optimistic the full House will embrace this bill (HB 229) when it’s taken up early in the 2024 session.
He noted that the bill enjoys a key parliamentary advantage: The first vote on the measure will be whether to pass it.
“Thank you to all those that came out to support,” Mannion said on social media.
Free Staters dump activist
The Free State Project recently dismissed Jeremy Kauffman, the 2022 Libertarian Party nominee for U.S. Senate, from its organization.
Jason Sorens of Amherst, a member of the FSP board, said the group is changing to a “mainstream center-right libertarian organization.”
Kauffman was decidedly on the left wing of the Libertarian Party, particularly when it came to his opposition to U.S. military engagements.
NH Legislature battles bots
Those managing the New Hampshire Legislature’s website are trying to prevent bots from hacking into their space.
To do any searches of legislation online, users must enter in a password that’s visually provided to them.
IT experts deploy this device because it prevents the automated hackers from getting inside.
After setbacks, Morse wins one
The sample size wasn’t large, but Republican candidate for governor Chuck Morse won his first straw poll over GOP rival and ex-U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte.
Morse beat Ayotte at the Coos County Republican Committee barbecue on Oct. 11 in Jefferson.
Ayotte, who had a previous commitment, was unable to attend the event, according to a campaign staffer.
Her organization has the support of all three Coos County commissioners, Sheriff Brian Valerino and state Sen. Carrie Gendreau, R-Littleton.
The rank-and-file also supported Trump at that Coos County meeting.
A few months ago, Ayotte handily won a straw poll of four towns in southern Rockingham County; Morse finished a distant third at that one also behind Education Commissioner Edelblut, who later decided not to run.
In mid-August, Ayotte ran away with an Emerson College poll, one of the first to look at this race.
Ayotte led with 45%, compared to 8% for Morse, 4% for Edelblut and 3% for former Hillsborough County Treasurer Bob Burns.
Burns has not ruled out a run of his own in 2024.
NH reps back from border
Several House Republicans made a recent trip to the southern U.S. border, including House Majority Whip Jeanine Notter, R-Merrimack, and Reps. Len Turcotte, R-Barrington, and Jordan Ulery, R-Hudson.
“I was impressed with how much firepower there was on the water just over the border to Mexico,” Ulery said.
“We heard a lot of blame heaped on President Biden, but there is plenty of blame to go around on this issue.”
Gannon goes for Haley
The question is whether the endorsement of GOP presidential hopeful Nikki Haley by state Sen. Bill Gannon, R-Sanborn, is a harbinger of things to come.
“Our next president will need experience, a clear-eyed understanding of what’s at stake, and good character,” Gannon said in picking Haley.
The move leaves 10 GOP state senators still on the fence.
Meanwhile, Sens. Timothy Lang, R-Sanbornton, and Gendreau are with former Vice President Mike Pence.
Senate Majority Whip Regina Birdsell, R-Hampstead, is backing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Before making his decision, Gannon said it was quite possible “several of my colleagues” might follow suit.
Pappas, Kuster differ
The state’s two Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives have very similar voting records.
That’s why it’s worth noting when the pair differ on an issue, as they did late last month.
The matter was a $50 million pilot project coming from the general military spending account to “create new production lines” and unlock private equity capital for advanced war- fighting efforts.
Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pennsylvania, had offered the amendment to the Department of Defense Appropriations Act.
U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas voted for it. Rep. Annie Kuster opposed it.
The amendment cleared the House on a vote of 240-191.
New Futures salutes senators
New Futures of New Hampshire, a public health advocacy group, recently honored Senate Assistant Democratic Leader Becky Whitley of Hopkinton and Sen. Denise Ricciardi, R-Bedford, as their legislators of the year for 2023.
Poll: Swing voters close
A new poll focusing on independent voters in New Hampshire concluded that Trump did not have as big a lead among swing voters as he did among registered Republicans.
NHJournal and co/efficient conducted the survey, which found that among those most likely to vote, Trump had 33%, with former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (21%) and Haley (19%) not far behind.
DeSantis received only 5% support among this group.
Among all swing voters, the margin was even smaller, with Trump leading Christie, 27% to 22%, and Haley again at 19%.
Co/efficient pollster Ryan Munce said these voters appeared likely to break toward the GOP nominee, regardless of whether it’s Trump, because they regard Republicans as better at fighting inflation, illegal immigration and other top issues.
The poll is interesting, but the suggested impact on this race is limited at best.
In any partisan presidential primary, independents are the greatest voting bloc, but they vote in much smaller numbers than regular Democrats and Republicans.
Thus, it’s conceivable that Trump could lose among these voters and still romp to victory here.
Menthol cigarette support
The New England Convenience Store & Energy Marketers Association hosted an event at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics, where they objected to Biden’s proposal to ban menthol cigarettes.
The nonpartisan Tax Foundation has concluded it could cost New Hampshire $50 million annually in tax revenue alone.
When Massachusetts adopted a ban on menthol cigarettes, it led to a boom in New Hampshire revenues as more smokers came over the border to stock up on the brands they couldn’t get at home.
