New Hampshire is one of the country’s smaller states, but it carries a tremendous amount of weight in the arena of U.S. politics. Earning its title every year as one of the key indicators of the mood of the country, all eyes focus on New Hampshire during primary season. And with the current Democrat, Paul Hodes, looking for a new job in the U.S. Senate, this open seat is a solid opportunity for a GOP pickup.
The 2nd Congressional District is one of New Hampshire’s two seats. The capital of the state, Concord, is within the boundaries of this district, as are Nashua, Salem, Keene, and the significant Dixville Notch—the community that’s been a reliable indicator in predicting how presidential elections turn out. While the area has been trending Democratic, it is by no means a “safe” district for candidates running to help Speaker Pelosi: Its Cook Partisan Voting Index is D+3, and in 2004, Kerry claimed victory by just five percentage points.
Since Hodes declared his candidacy for Judd Gregg’s Senate seat back in February 2009, the 2nd Congressional District soon went up for grabs on both sides of the aisle. This fall, New Hampshire Democrats have nominated a proudly far-left liberal to try and hold the seat. Ann McLane Kuster, a lawyer and self-proclaimed “community activist,” is trying to garner support from one clear platform: She wants to go to Washington to lend her unwavering commitment to the Obama-Pelosi agenda of big government, more spending and higher taxes.
During a time when the frustration with Democrat leadership is almost palpable, Kuster makes it clear that she will do whatever possible to advance her party’s plans. Despite strong opposition across the Granite State, Kuster remains committed to this partisan approach. Case in point: The health care reform that New Hampshire voters oppose because of its job-killing mandates and tax hikes is the same health care reform Kuster believes didn’t go far enough in terms of government control. Kuster is not just a Democrat. She’s already shown where her loyalty lies – with Speaker Pelosi and her Washington leaders.
Challenging her is Charlie Bass, a seasoned legislator who has respect from Democrats and Republicans alike—which is far more than Kuster can claim. Bass’s solid record in both the New Hampshire legislature and U.S. Congress proves that he’ll fight to create jobs—not kill them with tax hikes. While acknowledging that it is imperative to improve health care access and quality, he also realizes that the Democrats got it all wrong when they pushed ObamaCare through this spring. Bass is also determined to keep the backroom meetings and reckless earmark spending out of the legislative process and restore the integrity to our government that has been absent for far too long.
When voters go to the polls this November, they have a choice between a disillusioned candidate that is obstinately and blindly following her misguided leaders, and a candidate that has the experience to create jobs, lower taxes and stop the Democrats’ big government agenda.
For more information on Charlie Bass’s campaign and platform, please visit his website as well as his Facebook and Twitter pages.