Republican Primaries are Coming... - Granite Grok

Republican Primaries are Coming…

polling, pencil, checkboxThe 603 Alliance released the results of an online straw poll yesterday and overall New Hampshire’s Establishment Republicans took a beating.

Before I examine the results individually, please understand that the voting was done via email using a unique password access for each email address in the distribution list. The participants are individuals who signed up to receive email alerts and information from the 603 Alliance before the release of the poll. There was no public announcement that we planned a straw poll, so no individual knew in advance.

Because of who the 603 Alliance is, the majority of recipients represent the conservative base. They tend to be more interested and active in politics. As such, they are more likely to be primary voters. And did I mention the Establishment candidates took a beating?

We’re talking about New Hampshire State Senate and Executive Council races first.

In Executive Council District 1 Kim Strathdee is challenging sitting Republican Joe Kenney in that primary though I’m not sure if we can even call it more than a waste of time and money – which may be the point.  Kenny got 91% of the vote. Name recognition may be part of Kim’s problem because I didn’t even know Kenney had a primary and I’ve never heard of Kim. No judgment there, I just know nothing about the candidate, and perhaps no one else does either.

In Executive Council District 4 (and yes I am a part-time staffer for one of the candidates) Jane Cormier beat Ted Gatsas, 69% to 31%. Seems like a lot, and Gatsas does not lack for name recognition. What he lacks are conservative credentials. He’s a Republican, and while that’s enough for many, it wasn’t for supporters of the 603 Alliance.

State Senate District 3 has Steven Steiner challenging incumbent Jeb Bradley. I don’t know Steiner but I know Bradley and so do the voters in this poll. Steiner took 58% of the vote leaving Jeb with 42%. I don’t know that Bradley has to worry too much, but he’d be wise to listen to the messenger. A lot of ‘Republicans’ dislike his priorities enough to vote against him in a primary. No, I don’t think he’s listening.

State Senate District 9 is the race to replace the departing Andy Sanborn. Sanborn fled for more high-profile fields for floggings. The Republicans vying to replace him are Dan Hynes and Terry Wolfe. Hynes took 78% of the vote leaving Wolfe in the dust. Woolfe should not have done that well in my opinion.

State Senate District 12 has Republican for Peggy Gilmour Rich Dowd challenging Kevin Avard. Dowd is registered as a Republican though I’m not entirely sure why. Most of the straw poll voters must have figured it out because 89% chose Avard.

State Senate District 16 brings us the Return of the Boutin, a guy who retires only to come back because the people hath called him to service. Translation: The Establishment doesn’t have anyone else to oppose an actual Republican. That would be his opponent, Bill Kuch who has been the beneficiary of some hyperbolic mailers but still managed to beat Boutin in this poll with 69% of the vote to Dave’s 31%.

The CD1 and CD2 races were like night and day.

In CD-1 Eddie Edwards squeaked past Andy Sanborn 50-49%. I’m not taking sides in that one but I have to wonder if I’ll hear anymore grumbling from “some Edwards supporters” about how 603 (or anyone, actually) “appears to be” in the tank for Sanborn. Easily triggered, is the term I’d use. And not very cordial about it either. That’s my commentary and no one else’s. But let me remind you. Edwards won by a slim margin, so perhaps you should spend your time impressing perspective voters instead of pissing of actual likely voters.

In CD-2 Steve Negron won handily with 56%. His closest challenger was Lynn Blankenbeker who managed 31%. The other four candidates who got votes combined managed only 13%. No one from top to bottom in CD-2 really has what you’d call district-wide name recognition so take that however you’d like. But it should probably raise a few “red flags” for those other campaigns even the ones that didn’t raise a few on their own.

In total, these races won’t be decided by just the conservative base. But Republican primaries are still traditional appeals to them.  Over on the left, for example, they are parading around talking about all the glorious programs upon which they will spend our money, gun control and sanctuary for illegal aliens.

On the right, veterans, tax cuts, border security, national defense, improving on a great economy.

You’ve seen the straw poll. Do with it as you will.

 

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