Ray Gagnon - NH State Rep (Facebook page)

This November’s election will determine if we continue down the path of dismantling vital services & government, or return to a practical common sense approach on how to run the State. If you believe government should make things better – I am asking you to support my re-election. The anti-government crowd in charge of NH has established a highway re-paving plan where state roads will not be paved for 30 years! I have consistently said NO to such foolishness and worked for good roads, safe bridges, quality education and a social service system for the neediest. Republican Speaker Bill O’Brien recently said that if his team is elected in November, they plan to cut 400 million more dollars from the next state budget. Imagine how that will affect the basic functions of state government. Your property taxes will increase from the state’s downshifting and walking away from responsibility resulting in INCREASED PROPERTY TAXES! The present legislature was elected saying they would create jobs & grow the economy – however their first act was to permit concealed guns in the State Capital and on the floor of Reps Hall. I’m not anti-gun, but you don’t bring them to the legislature! They have been hostile to NH Hospitals and social service agencies, as well as public sector workers. I ask that you send me to Concord and I will say NO to this extremist agenda. Government needs to help business grow the economy & create good jobs. Experts agree that sustaining an educated trained workforce is vital to attracting and maintaining businesses and jobs; yet this legislature cut aid to the NH University System by almost 50% causing NH tuition to now be the most costly in America. Their short sighted financial policies have resulted in massive cuts to cities and school districts. This down shifting of costs to local communities will only mean one thing – increased property taxes. Ward 3 Claremont needs to send to Concord someone who won’t support this radical agenda. My record has been one that has worked with everyone regardless of party, but not someone who has been silent regarding legislative overreach. I have a proven record of fiscal common sense: As chair of the Sullivan County Delegation (‘08/10), I was part of the county team that paid off the debt incurred from past irresponsible fiscal management and helped make the County Home solvent.. BACKGROUND: Native of Claremont – Born & raised in Ward 3Married – 1 child (daughter) EDUCATION: St. Mary’s High School St. Francis College – AB History Southern NH University – MS Human Services EMPLOYEMENT: Semi-Retired – Communications Consultant (2002-Present) United States Marshal – 1994-2002 State Employee (DCYF) – 1972-1994 ELECTED OFFICE: Claremont City Council 1986-1992 Mayor – 1991 NH House of Representatives (3 terms) ’06-‘12 For additional information read my weekly column in the e-ticker news and sign up to my blog: http://communitygovernmentstrategies.blogspot.com. Also join my facebook page Ray Gagnon – NH State Rep – My email address is RepGagnon@gmail.com

Elections Québec Style

Contrary to rumors – while I may have been out of the country last week it’s not true that I left because of the Republican National Convention! I believe summer is for reflection and among the memories lately are my almost annual trips to Québec as a child that included visits to extended family with my parents and grandmother. This was the 1950’s where children were to be seen and not heard, resulting in my taking it all in and be amazed how just a few hours north of Claremont NH, life was so different regarding food, pastimes, and language. Growing up in 1950’s Claremont, it was common to hear French spoken, but where it was everywhere (radio, television and newspapers) was very different! Perhaps it’s the hot summer or just getting old, but thoughts of those days have been center stage – to the point where I recently told my wife I was off to Québec and the memories of my youth! Her response was “bon voyage & see yah!” I also shared this plan with my friend Jim Morin who told me about the upcoming provincial elections and how the separatists could possibly win. Furthermore, he’d be willing to go on this journey to visit the towns where so many Claremont families originated from and provide a firsthand view of elections Québec style. My mothers’ family (Beaudoin) like many of her extended family (LaPlante, Gregoire & Garneau) came here from the Eastern Townships – an area just north of the border where the principal city is Sherbrooke. The townships were created by the British after the American Revolution as a buffer zone between the French along the St. Lawrence and the new United States of America. The Townships were quickly settled by expanding French populations to where the names of the towns are the only remaining thing British. In the 19th Century, thousands of French-Canadians were enticed to New England which included hundreds of families from the Eastern Townships to Claremont. I recall a delightful story depicting this migration by my second grade teacher – Miss Laurina Issoire – who told how her father worked, as a lumberjack during the winter in northern NH & VT and would each spring be part of a drive where logs would be floated down the Connecticut River to Bellows Falls VT. Men would actually walk on the water and steer the logs down river. After reaching their destination, they were supposed to return to Canada, but her father, circa 1890’s, walked from Bellows Falls to Claremont, found permanent work and stayed. So being the largest community in the area, Sherbrooke made sense as our first stop and enroute I learned from Jim all about provincial politics and how Quebec uses a unicameral Westminster-style parliamentary government. The premier is the leader of the party that controls the most seats in the National Assembly and Liberals have been in power since 2003 with Jean Charest from Sherbrooke as Premier. Also, the premier chooses when to call an election, which happened on August 1st. Imagine if our elections only lasted 1 month. The premier called for elections on the first of August with September 4 designated as Election Day! Phone banks, visibility, signs, TV ads, and candidate events are all condensed into 1 month! Polls indicate the elections are close with only 6% separating first place Parti-Québeçois (PQ) with32% from the 3rd place Liberals (PLQ) at 26%. The new conservative party, the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ), is in 2nd place with 28%. In Sherbrooke, we visited the Separatist and Liberal headquarters. According to the PQ, Mr. Charest a Sherbrooke native is so unpopular at home that even if his party wins on Tuesday, he may lose his seat. Therefore, should his party win but he loses, a liberal member of the National Assembly will resign in order to keep Charest premier. It’s like if the Republicans maintain a majority in the NH House, but Speaker O’Brien loses his race, a GOP representative would step down so O’Brien could remain the speaker. While visiting various headquarters differences became obvious, the PQ supporters we met were working class and in their 30’s, while the Liberal volunteers were middle age (40’s) and appeared more affluent. Separatists had their phone banks humming as you entered the headquarters, while the liberals had their get out the vote operations in the rear, away from public view. Obviously two different styles at play, with two different philosophies in motion. Our next concern was public opinion, so like all good Frenchmen we went to lunch where we met a chatty fellow who said it was too close to call, and re-affirmed the story we had heard about Sherbrook’s displeasure with their present legislator who’s also the present premier. We then went deeper into the province driving through rural towns with familiar names thanks to my mémère and noticed that political signs were only on utility poles and not private property! Later we learned that while people have strong personal opinions – they tend to keep them private. My thought was how can the Separatists be leading, weren’t they trounced in the last election and hadn’t they lost the referendum to secede from Canada? Hadn’t the wind been taken out of their sails, so how’d they bounce back? Apparently their success is attributed to their new leader Mme. Pauline Marois who has been unflatteringly described by one publication as an “old warhorse” of the Parti-Québeçois having worked with René Lévesque in the 1970’s. She was passed over in the past as the PQ wanted leaders that were snazzier and younger; however she’s resurfaced and is credited with bringing the PQ back to its working class roots. So who knows what will happen – but just a few hours north of here, it’ll be a hot time in old Québec on Sept 4th!

IF THEY’RE PUNCHING THIS HARD NOW…

Native corn is starting to become available – blackberries are almost ripe – we’ve had a break in the humidity, so I’m happy to report that life is good! The following are a few random midsummer observations and thoughts relative to politics and community in the Connecticut River Valley, the State and Nation. Presidential Politics: I have an old friend who lives in northern New Hampshire named Jack and although we don’t see each other much, we do keep in touch via emails, Facebook and the occasional lunch in Concord. Among Jack’s many talents is the ability to zero in on a concept and say in a few words something that grows and hours later you find that simple phrase still bouncing in your head. So last week, as I was checking-in on Facebook, I saw that Jack had posted something about the presidential election. His comment was “If they're punching this hard now, it's going to be an ugly September...” Short and to the point! I know we’re a battleground state but I’ve never seen so many political ads in July, as this year. The level of intensity and attack is like two heavyweights standing their ground and slamming punches. Neither candidate is willing to give an inch of ground – and Jack’s right – IT’S ONLY JULY! I first met Jack back during the John Durkin for Senate campaign, in the late 70’s, and while he’s now a free lance writer and has traveled the world and written several books, he continues to be politically on top of things and his observations are always on the mark, saying in a couple of words something profound and always thought provoking. The Dust Bowl at the Hop! Last week I had the pleasure of going up river to the Hopkins Center to view the upcoming PBS documentary by Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan on the Dust Bowl of the 1930’s. Dayton is an old acquaintance who I first met when I was an aide on the Gallen for Governor Campaign in 1980 and he was the Chief of Staff to the governor. He loyally remained with Governor Gallen for all three terms. However after the Governor’s death – Dayton seemed to move away from active day to day politics, although, like Jack, he’s always stayed involved, if only as an active observer. Dayton now lives down river in Walpole and served as the producer and principal writer for the Dust Bowl documentary and did a splendid job. His ability to listen and identify with the sentiments expressed by common everyday men and women was touching and worth seeing. Not only is this a story of long ago, but the magic is his ability to tell a story that we’re able to relate to today. The biggest thing I took away was how the Dust Bowl was a man-made environmental disaster and had government programs not been introduced – more people would have died and the area would not have recovered. Maybe it should be mandatory viewing for all proponents of the Tea Party. Prosperity & the Connecticut River Valley: Hopefully, if you read the papers and have looked at the political ads – you know that I am supporting Representative David Pierce from Etna to be the new state senator for District 5 that goes from Charlestown in the South, up the Connecticut River, to Hanover in the North. I have worked with David in the NH House for the past 6 years and have always been impressed by his ability to be level headed, stay focused and ability to find common ground. I’m sure he’s the right person for the job and will be able to dedicate the time to what’s become a full time job. Last week, while visiting area businesses with David Pierce, I heard him expound on an idea of how the region could grow and develop economically. Now the idea of locating certain operational functions from Hanover & Lebanon to Claremont where rental space is less expensive isn’t anything new – but having someone run for office with a foot in each part of the Valley is refreshing. Furthermore, both Dartmouth & DHMC bring an amazing amount of intellectual capital to the table. Their scientists and engineers are constantly inventing new technologies that could grow and develop into full fledged companies. While this isn’t a quick process and requires several hurdles and stages before being ready for prime time – the potential for Claremont with its infrastructure and available industrial land and properties could fit nicely into the larger scheme of things. You might think this is farfetched – but isn’t that’s how Hypertherm started, and look at them today! Now, I’m sure that many smart people have thought of this before, and it probably isn’t anything new, but maybe having us all in the same senate district might help to foster and grow this concept into a reality - just a thought. So as I stated in the beginning native corn is becoming available – blackberries are ripening – there’s a break in the humidity, and life is good!

Doors Close & Doors Open

It certainly is not extremely profound to state that people are different – and we each have our own way of processing information and making decisions. For example, my wife is one of those people where things are black & white, right or wrong. She has the ability to stay focused on a goal and block out distractions in order to keep moving forward. I on the other hand tend to see things from a broader perspective and can easily get distracted into what seems to be something totally unconnected to the decision at hand. So keeping that in mind, it shouldn’t seem odd that I’ve spent a great deal of time lately thinking about politics as a way to explain what and why certain things and decisions are made. Basically, I tend to think that opinions cause us to often fall within a political spectrum of beliefs. Again, nothing terribly earth shattering! Wikipedia defines political spectrum “as a way of modeling different political positions by placing them upon one or more geometric axes symbolizing independent political dimensions.” We are all familiar with terms like right (conservative), center (moderate), and left (progressive), however I’m of the opinion that most of us fall into being in the center and thus hopefully able to see parts of both sides of an issue. But there’s more to a spectrum than just these three categories – and I believe that the political spectrum is an oval versus a straight line, where the extremes (right & left) meet and discover they have more in common with the opposing extreme then they had thought. It is like coming full circle where an ultra-extreme libertarian meets up with an ultra-radical anarchist and they find that they are in sync and on the same page. Scary – I know – maybe my wife is right and I do have too much free time on my hands! *** For the most part – I am convinced that NH candidates run for political office with the best of intentions and while they all fit into a political spectrum; their motives are honorable and it’s certainly not for the money. Also, historically those in the center (moderates) reflect the views of most voters and are normally the most successful. Needless to say there are exceptions to this rule, as demonstrated by the present outgoing legislature, however traditionally those elected want to do what they envision as the peoples’ business, which is where it gets tricky. Voters interestingly have the responsibility to identify which candidate best reflect their views (where they fit on the spectrum) and who’ll be the most effective for their community. Unfortunately, in this day of less media focus on statehouse issues, this isn’t as easy as it sounds and can be difficult. FYI – for those candidates who are incumbents or have previously served in the legislature there is a record that is accessible on-line at http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/house/default.htm - the NH Legislature web site. Also there is a new bi-partisan entity called the Live Free Or Die Alliance (www.LiveFreOrDieAlliance.org ) that provides important information about NH issues and promises to provide everything you want to know about NH elected officials and political candidates. This is a non-partisan group of individuals so if you don’t find your candidate has responded, perhaps you should ask why and what don’t they want us to know? Candidates also receive many position questionnaires and, if they are serious they will complete them so as to keep the public informed. The only exceptions are those questionnaires that are un-biased and slanted. However, there are numerous legitimate interest groups that will solicit a candidate’s viewpoint, although some may be narrow and specific in their scope. Hopefully, local and statewide media and community groups will be another tool to better inform us as to where each candidate stands on the issues facing the State. *** So as the door opens relative to the process of picking a new legislature – an old door will be closing. On Wednesday the legislature will meet for the last time, assuming no emergencies or natural disasters arise, to deal with vetoes by the Governor. He has vetoed a total of thirteen bills – eight generated by the Senate and five from the House. The vetoed bills range from HB 149 that would prohibit the federal government from using or maintaining information from NH motor vehicle records, to HB 1607 that would use NH tax dollars to fund private schools and defray the costs of home schooling. Governor Lynch also vetoed SB 289 which requires a person to have a photo ID in order to vote, and SB 372 that establishes an education credit against the Business Profits Tax, which he believes will only down shift more education costs to cities and towns. Also among the vetoed bills to be decided will be SB 409 that legalizes medical marijuana. In total there are 13 bills that were vetoed, which should cause for another full day. But as my very common sense French-Canadian mémère always used to say - when one door closes another opens.

Entrances & Exits

I remember a crusty old political operative telling me years ago how people don’t care about substance. His comment was something like the only thing people remember are entrances & exits, everything in the middle is forgotten. Certainly, harsh talk and a rather negative put down about attention spans and people’s ability to remember. Sadly, I’ve met politicos from both parties who have subscribed to that belief and are much more comfortable with a big flashy opening and finish with nothing in the middle. Sort of like an air sandwich – two slices of bread with air in the center – not a lot of substance! The alternative is, of course, rolling up your sleeves and getting into the weeds to craft solutions - it isn’t flashy and entails real work. *** Speaking of flashy endings and air sandwiches – the NH 2011-12 Legislative Session is finally over. At last Wednesday’s session, the General Court dealt with a total of 13 separate vetoes by Governor Lynch. While the majority of the governor’s vetoes were over ridden (e.g. the partial birth abortion bill), several others were sustained such as the medical marijuana bill. In past years, the last day of the session has taken on the feeling similar to the last day of school where old friends say goodbye for the summer, and while that did occur on an individual basis – the custom of long-term retiring representatives going to the podium in Reps Hall to make a farewell address to the full body was for the most part absent. While somewhat stuffy and “old school”, I always found the ritual enjoyable and among the best traditions of the New Hampshire Legislature – it was always nice to hear the perspective of people who weren’t running again. As to why it didn’t occur this year, perhaps the session was too contentious and for those not returning they couldn’t leave fast enough – who knows! Normally the turnover of house members choosing to not run again has been about 25%, and while I don’t have any hard figures I am told that this year the numbers are significantly higher at about 30%. In the NH Senate, which has become a full time job, the numbers are more startling as 10 of the 24 senators are choosing to not run again. This will translate into a definite loss of institutional knowledge in the next Legislature. For those interested - elections for the New Hampshire General Court (Senate & House) will be held in on November 6, 2012. All 24 Senate seats and 400 House seats will be up for election. *** In addition to the last day of the legislature, I had the opportunity last week to re-connect with the community and see what’s going on in Claremont and the region. Actually, I find that going to meetings are an excellent escape from ‘honey-do’s’ and other normal tasks of summer like mowing the lawn and going to the transfer station. One event that did catch my attention was the public hearing about renewing the permit to operate the trash incinerator in Claremont. For the past twenty-five years, this has been one of the most controversial issues in the area and has spawned more discussion and arguably generated as much heat as the actual temperature of the incinerator itself. On one side is the solid waste industry that provides jobs and pays substantial taxes to the City, and on the other are a group of local individuals/activists who have vocally opposed the project at every level. This waste to energy project has been an extremely touchy subject and caused the political ruin of many! Caught in between are the state & federal authorities whose job it is to regulate the incinerator, hence oversee the public hearing on renewing the permit. Among my observations was how the opponents ranged from knowledgeable people who voiced substantive concerns about the permits renewal, to others whose 25 year frustration level at combating the incinerator has noticeably taken its toll. A factor that did shock me was the anecdotal testimony regarding the health impact on people who live south and east of the incinerator. According to the testimony, since the prevailing winds are from the north, the health impact from the incinerator to nearby residents has been devastating. Overall, I thought the individuals conducting the public hearing did so in an extremely professional and patient manner. Residents should also know the public comment period has been extended to July 13. *** Additional community events I had the opportunity to participate in last week were the Farmers Market and the annual meeting of the Claremont Chamber of Commerce. The Market is held every Thursday afternoon, during the summer and fall, at Claremont’s Broad Street Park, and I wish them clear skies and a sunny season! The other community event was the annual meeting of the Greater Claremont Chamber of Commerce who for 95 years have tirelessly worked and remained focused on contributing to Claremont and the region. The energy and hard work of these two groups are excellent examples of substance over hype.

STRANGE BEDFELLOWS

The 2012 New Hampshire Legislative Session is now history – all that’s left will be to meet on June 27th relative to any gubernatorial vetoes. As reported by numerous media outlets, last week’s session was contentious and extremely long, due in part, to a trifecta of proposed constitutional amendments that were on the docket. The saying that politics makes strange bedfellows was certainly demonstrated last week as arch-conservative-libertarian members found themselves agreeing with liberal-progressive-democrats and free-thinking republicans. For totally different reasons, conservatives and liberals came together as a block to defeat a constitutional amendment for the November Ballot regarding education funding that would have overturned the Claremont lawsuit. Some on the right thought that CACR-12 would be as one representative described it “Claremont on Crack” meaning if passed the present situation would become worse and more costly to the State. On the left side of the spectrum, members felt the amendment would make the Supreme Court merely a procedural onlooker and unable to protect the rights of citizens. Having spent the past two years mistrusting the motives and decisions of these libertarian minded colleagues, I must admit it was somewhat unsettling to find myself in concurrence (albeit for different reasons) over CACR 12. However, we are sent to represent the people of our district – and since I didn’t believe CACR-12 was in Claremont’s best interest both financially and constitutionally I couldn’t support this amendment. Two separate votes on this legislation were taken, however the magic number of 237 never materialized and the opposition stood firm. One sad comment that was hopefully made by a representative in the heat of argument were negative statements regarding the honor and integrity of NH Supreme Court Justices, however as I stated it was a long and contentious day. Another of the proposed constitutional amendments, CACR 6 that would have required a 3/5th vote of the legislature to impose any new or increased tax or fee also failed. An interesting argument was raised how the United States Senate is presently paralyzed by the 60% rule; therefore do we want to impose the same affect on New Hampshire. Thankfully this was also defeated, this time by moderate republicans and democrats. Actually, of the trifecta of proposed constitutional amendments, only CACR 13 prohibiting any new tax on personal income passed last week and will be on the November Ballot. Unfortunately, the Session was so long that for the 2nd year in a row I was unable to attend the annual meeting of the Upper Valley Lake Sunapee Regional Planning Commission. This year the event was at the Common Man in Claremont which offered the historic Mill District as an attractive backdrop to an event that brings planners, municipal leaders and developers from around the region. Next year the Commission will be celebrating their 50th year of providing professional planning assistance to municipal boards. Their present array of expertise includes comprehensive planning, land use regulations, transportation planning, natural resource inventories, community/economic development, public participation, affordable housing, and hazard mitigation planning. As one of the 9 Regional Planning Commissions (RPC) in New Hampshire, their mission is to coordinate all aspects of planning, act as a liaison between local and state/federal governments and provide advisory technical assistance. They are an excellent example of intergovernmental collaboration and coordination. Kudos to the Upper Valley Planning Commission for all they do and choosing Claremont as the site of their annual meeting. Another unsung governmental entity is the Statehouse Visitor Center in Concord. Under the excellent direction of Ms. Virginia Drew – this small department of New Hampshire government conducts tours and coordinates historical presentations and events that highlight NH and the Statehouse. This includes everything from workshops on NH history, as well as tours for students. Several years ago, the legislature mandated that all 4th graders would learn New Hampshire history which has now evolved into almost all of the elementary schools making a yearly trip to the statehouse and a tour by the Visitor Center is tops on their list. We often forget that our state capital is the oldest facility of its kind still in use as a seat of government. Therefore, it provides a marvelous living showcase of New Hampshire history and takes on an almost museum like quality that is visited yearly by thousands of tourists and NH residents. The statehouse and visitor center is also used by the US Department of State who regularly bring foreign government officials to New Hampshire as a way to better educate people from other cultures about the United States. For example, last week Ms. Drew was hostess to a group of young Algerian diplomats who were in NH for three days to observe US government in action. Their tour included visiting 3 states - New York, Wisconsin and New Hampshire. Representatives Schmidt (Grantham), Théberge (Berlin) and I had the opportunity to meet briefly with these visitors, during last week’s session. They appeared genuinely intrigued regarding how the state operates and thanks to the fine work of the Visitor Center; we might have had a small influence in Algeria’s future. Strange bedfellows indeed!

STAND YOUR GROUND – NH

I’ve been captivated for a month about stories coming from Florida regarding the killing of a 17 year old boy walking home after buying a bag of skittles. The victim appears to have been targeted because of his skin color and was killed by a man who, although asked by 911 to back-away, continued his pursuit of the “suspicious” young boy who was walking home and talking on a cell phone to his girlfriend.

I realize acts of violence occur daily and that bad things happen to good people, but what has me awestruck is how the shooter has been protected by a law called Stand-Your-Ground which Florida police cite as preventing them from arresting the killer. This law states that a person may use force in self-defense when there is reasonable belief of a threat, without an obligation to retreat first. Under these legal concepts, a person is justified in using deadly force in certain situations and the "Stand Your Ground" (SYG) law can be a defense or immunity to criminal charges and civil suit. The Florida Legislature passed this law that expands what’s called the Castle Doctrine (a person’s house is his castle, hence defense is defendable) including justifying deadly force. In researching Stand-Your-Ground deadly force is considered justified and a defense of justifiable homicide is applicable, specifically in cases "when the actor reasonably fears imminent peril of death or serious bodily harm to himself or another." Florida passed the Stand Your Ground law in 2005 and now 20 other states have similar laws – including New Hampshire.

The NH Stand-Your-Ground law took effect on Nov. 13, 2011 and simply ended the duty to retreat and lets anyone use deadly force to defend “anywhere he or she has a right to be.” The only exception to the NH law is if the person using the deadly force is the initial aggressor. This was passed over the Governor’s veto by the republican majority in the NH House, who you’ll remember as their first act after taking control was to permit concealed loaded weapons on the House Floor and Gallery. Our Attorney General Michael Delaney repeatedly cited the increase in violent crime in Florida since the law’s passage, and Claremont’s Police Chief Alexander Scott is quoted in an online publication (Lawofficer.com) that while NH hasn’t yet encountered a similar scenario where the stand-your-ground law played a direct role, "it's only a matter of time." He further stated how the “New Hampshire Association of Chiefs of Police lobbied very strongly against the law last year, arguing that Florida had seen an increase in violent confrontations since its law went into effect.” Furthermore, how NH law enforcement fears the same increase will occur here and this will result in an escalation of violence. Scott further speculated about why the NRA spent so much time and money lobbying for Stand Your Ground stating that “things were working before because the overall crime rate had been dropping, and stating he wasn’t sure why they would want to change that trend.” My concern is when did NH become so scared that shooting first & asking questions later would become the law of the land?

POLITICAL BUZZ:
Concord was buzzing last week about the decision by some senators to re-draw the map for the Executive Council. Locally, that means that Executive Counselor – Raymond Burton – will no longer represent Claremonters and much of the Upper Valley. I can’t remember when Ray Burton wasn’t our executive counselor and his services to residents of the area will certainly be missed if this plan goes into effect. The Executive Council is elected every two years and is a remnant of colonial days having begun in 1679, to ensure a check on the governor.

According to rumors, the decision to redraw the Executive Council is because Executive Counselor David Wheeler’s District-5 election is in jeopardy. Originally, Counselor Burton’s district was to remain basically the same; however the new plan has his region spiking to the southeast and including much of Strafford County and the heavily democratic cities of Rochester, Dover, and Somersworth. Capital gossip is this will make it difficult for Executive Counselor Daniel Saint-Hilaire to keep his seat as it will now include the communities of Concord, Hanover, Lebanon and Claremont. Also, since Raymond Burton isn’t well known in eastern NH, he may be vulnerable because of adding heavily democratic Strafford County to his district.
More gossip abounded regarding the new Connecticut Valley Senate Seat. Claremont and Charlestown will now join Hanover and Lebanon as part of Senate District-5 from Charlestown to Lyme. Two democrats have publically expressed an interest in running so a September Primary is expected. The two democrat candidates are Brian Rapp – a Claremont Firefighter and member of the Claremont School Board, and David Pierce – a Hanover Lawyer and State Representative. Both are well known in their respective areas, although Representative Pierce’s population base is larger, the challenge is who can raise the 70 thousand dollars minimum needed to win a senate seat today. Needless to say, political pundits are in full spin mode.