The long awaited state primary is almost here. NH runs two primaries, the well known presidential primary, presidential years only, in January. First in the nation, and we're gonna keep it that way. January is way too early considering the election isn't until November, nearly a year in the future. Then we have the real primary to select US Senate, US house, governor, state reps, and state senators coming up second week in September. Way too late IMHO. That only gives 7 weeks to patch up relations with the defeated candidate's supporters, raise some money, run some ads. We would be better off holding the state primary in June.
Anyhow we have a real crop of candidates to choose from. For US senate we have Scott Brown, front runner, Jim Reubin, and Bob Smith, and a couple of minor candidates so obscure I can' remember who they are. Scott Brown is 15 points ahead of everyone, and the polls show him in a dead heat with the democratic incumbent, Jeanne Shaheen. Scott seems to be overcoming the "carpetbagger" tag, and his opponents, although of purer NH lineage than Scott, have demonstrated some flaky views that ought to turn off voters. It would be very nice to send a Republican senator to DC, and Scott looks like the best chance. Polls show Jeanne Shaheen beating every republican EXCEPT Scott Brown.
My house race, Annie Kuster (incumbent Dem) is less clear. Gary Lambert is the leading Republican challenger, but the polls don't show him beating Kuster, yet. The other house race is out of my territory and I know less about it.
For governor, the democratic incumbent Maggie Hassan will be hard to beat. She is a nice person, not particularly competent, but likeable, and except for a desire to raise taxes and spend money, she is OK. We have Walt Havenstein, an experienced business man, and Andrew Hemmingway, a real young guy with some entrepreneurial experience. I think Walt can beat Andrew in the primary. Maybe he can beat Maggie in the general.
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