Consider this an open letter to the House Election Law committee, which I’ve already emailed several members of. If you happen to live in Hollis, Brookline, Mason or Greenville, pay close attention because HB 130 (relative to the arrangement of candidates on primary election ballots) has only one sponsor, and he’s YOUR rep.
Good afternoon, Election Law Reps.
On the heels of Hope Damon speaking about on line testimony, I want to make sure you receive some background intel on Rep Flanagan, the lone sponsor of HB 130, which has a hearing on Tuesday 2/18. I will first confess that I almost forgot about HB 130 until his name appeared on a list of 25 rogues that just voted to indefinitely postpone the RTW bill (HB 238).
Keith Ammon used to be the 3rd Hollis rep until the new redistricting removed his eligibility and replaced his seat with a newly created district of Hollis, Brookline, Mason and Greenville. Local Masonite Colton Skorupan, a well-liked veteran, family man, and homeschooler, filed candidacy and was in a primary with then-private citizen Flanagan. Overcoming the alphabetical order disadvantage and the ex-officio privilege available to Flanagan, Colton won the lottery for top billing on the ballot in those four towns. Unhappy with the results of that lottery, Flanagan took the matter to the Ballot Law Commission in August of 2022.
I just happened to be at the BLC that day, as were the some of the 14 incumbent reps that were defending their ballot access against accusations of ineligibility because of the way they voted on a secession bill earlier that term. Flanagan argued that he deserved top billing because of alphabetical order. When that didn’t work for him, he tried to use his “previously in office” status argument though the district was newly created and continued to grasp at other straws, like citing various special elections, until the BLC upheld the lottery results in their decision. He thanked the body for their time and calmly left. Colton later won their primary, but sadly lost in November.
The following election, Colton did not run, and Flanagan unseated the Hollis Democrat, a great victory for the House in flipping that seat in addition to Liz Barbour picking up Sue Homola’s old seat that Ming took from her. Notice that nobody was interested in cosponsoring HB 130, Flanagan’s bill that I consider an acting out of petty resentment against Colton. In fact, someone should ask Mr McGuire if HB 130 is a “stinker bill.” Whether or not he says yes, I disagree with his Grok piece on supporting the recent efforts to change House Rule 44.
Anyway, HB 130 gets a hearing because all bills get a hearing, but one or more of you might consider asking Flanagan about his baggage after he introduces it.
-Julie
I encourage you to register your opposition to HB 130 using this link. If you are so inclined, you can also email the committee and the contact information can be found in this link. Or you can testify in person at Tuesday’s hearing. And lastly, if you or someone you know is a Flanagan constituent, please help find an opponent to primary him in 2026 because he’s also an enemy of RTW.
