State Senate District 7 candidates Andrew Hosmer and Joshua Youssef met tonight in a debate at the Franklin Opera House. Annmarie Timmins, reporter for the Concord Monitor (and alleged Democratic Party propagandist), was there and captured the highlights.
The National Federation of Independent Business represents small and independent businesses from a decidedly ideological perspective. Over the last decade, the National Federation of Independent Business has contributed $2,247,383 to Republican candidates and just $139,203 to Democrats.
Friday, they even joined the “jobs truthers” and questioned the integrity of the Department of Labor jobs report. “As the data come in,” wrote the NFIB chief economist, “we’ll continue to assess the credibility of these latest numbers.”
But when the NFIB evaluated the slate of candidates for public office in New Hampshire, some Republicans were too extreme even for the NFIB.
The NFIB is backing Democrat Andrew Hosmer, a business owner who has made small business the foundation of his campaign, for the 7th District state Senate seat over Republican businessman Joshua Youssef.
Youssef has been dogged by reports that he owes the IRS at much as $50,000 in tax debt and has under reported his assets for child support payments. Last month, Youssef was hit with an election law complaint filed by House counsel Ed Mosca.
Chris Pappas, co-owner of the Puritan Backroom, was endorsed by the NFIB over Republican Bob Burns in the 4th District Executive Council race.
Burns has embraced the extreme agenda of the right-wing groups that have endorsed him including Cornerstone, the Republican Liberty Caucus and Granite Grok. Burns defended the Council’s rejection of a contract with Planned Parenthood, declaring the organization isn’t “truly” about women’s health and only provides abortion services because “it’s a huge fundraising tool for them.”
Once again, Democrat Ann Kuster was the big winner in the congressional fundraising sweepstakes for the fourth quarter of 2011. The 2nd District congressional candidate raised over $330,000, nearly doubling the total from her likely Republican opponent, Rep. Charlie Bass, and bringing in more than New Hampshire’s two sitting congressmen combined.
Bass raised $167,500 with half of that coming from Political Action Committees. The PAC donations included $10,000 from Sen. Mitch McConnell and $2,500 from Sen. Kelly Ayotte.
Kuster-D Bass-R
Itemized Contributions . . . $202,666 $ 80,550
Non-Itemized Contributions. . $ 69,505 $ 3,100
Political Committees . . . . $ 58,951 $ 80,388
Total Receipts . . . . . . . $331,202 $167,513
Cash On Hand . . . . . . . . $828,036 $600,264
In the 1st District, Carol Shea-Porter led the pack of Democrats vying for the Republican-held seat, raising over $87,000. Andrew Hosmer brought in nearly $51,000 and Joanne Dowdell trailed with $43,500. Dowdell spent almost as much as she raised last quarter. Hosmer had less than $12,000 cash on hand at the end of the year.
Congressman Frank Guinta raised over $130,000, more than Shea-Porter but less than the combined totals from his three Democratic challengers. Guinta paid himself $22,000 from the campaign funds as a loan repayment, but still has a significant advantage in cash on hand, ending the year with over $565,000 compared to Shea-Porter’s $142,500.
Dowdell-D Hosmer-D Shea-Porter-D Guinta-R
Itemized Contributions . . . $ 27,575 $ 40,630 $ 29,810 $ 67,500
Non-Itemized Contributions. . $ 13,941 $ 9,254 $ 27,590 $ 5,215
Political Committees . . . . $ 0 $ 1,000 $ 30,000 $ 51,379
Total Receipts. . . . . . . . $ 43,516 $ 50,884 $ 87,552 $130,522
Cash On Hand . . . . . . . . $ 98,445 $ 11,617 $142,496 $565,273
2nd District Congressional candidate Ann Kuster was the state’s big winner in third quarter fundraising. Kuster out-raised likely opponent Congressman Charlie Bass by a 2-to-1 margin and even raised more for the quarter than Bass and Congressman Frank Guinta combined, earning her national attention from National Journal and Politico.
In the 1st District, Carol Shea-Porter led the pack of Democrats vying for Guinta’s seat, raising more than Hosmer and Dowdell combined — leading Pindell to suggest the race is already over. Guinta raised less than half of what he brought in last quarter and was out-raised by the combined totals from the three Democrats. His lackluster performance earned him a spot on National Journal’s list of the “Top 10 House Fundraising Flops,” which he shares with Bass.
Kuster-D Bass-R
Itemized Contributions . . . $209,964 $ 63,220
Non-Itemized Contributions. . $102,225 $ 4,231
Political Committees . . . . $ 47,250 $ 80,000
TOTAL . . . . . . . . . . . . $359,439 $147,451Dowdell-D Hosmer-D Shea-Porter-D Guinta-R
Itemized Contributions . . . $ 23,625 $ 29,744 $ 48,305 $ 84,613
Non-Itemized Contributions. . $ 8,800 $ 7,938 $ 25,956 $ 5,291
Political Committees . . . . $ 0 $ 1,500 $ 15,500 $ 49,000
TOTAL . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 32,425 $ 39,182 $ 89,761 $138,904
Businessman Andrew Hosmer’s fundraising for the 1st District Congressional seat got off to a slow start, bringing in less than half of that raised by primary opponent Carol Shea-Porter. Hosmer raised $39,182 in the third quarter with 65% of the itemized individual contributions coming from New Hampshire residents. The total includes $3,795 in contributions from the candidate. Hosmer had $16,565 on hand at the end of the quarter compared to Shea-Porter’s $115,532.
Itemized Contributions (NH) . . . . . . . . . . . $ 19,244
Itemized Contributions (Outside NH) . . . . . . . $ 10,500
Non-Itemized Contributions. . . . . . . . . . . . $ 7,938
Political Committees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 1,500
Candidate Contribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 0
Candidate Loan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 0
TOTAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 39,181Cash On Hand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 16,565
In a move that had been telegraphed for a couple of weeks, James Pindell reports Andrew Hosmer will officially announce he is running for Congress later today. He joins former Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter and Portsmouth businesswoman Joanne Dowdell in the race for the Democratic nomination in the state’s 1st Congressional District.
Hosmer will likely position himself as “the moderate guy from the Lakes Region” against former Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter and Joanne Dowdell, two progressive women with a political base on the Seacoast. He will also focus his background in small business as an executive of Autoserv, which employees a few hundred in the state.
Update: Hosmer’s announcement.
Andrew Hosmer is making the press rounds to let eveyone know he’s considering a run for the 1st District congressional seat held by Rep. Frank Guinta.
The businessman and finance chair of the New Hampshire Democratic Party said he has not made a final decision, but he is leaning toward making the run. Hosmer will announce his decision in seven to ten days. That’s not much time to develop a stump speech.
Asked what he would do if he was elected to Congress, Hosmer replied, “I don’t know if I’m quite there yet. I’m still listening, still talking….”
Earlier this week, James Pindell (paywall) reported former state Senate candidate Andrew Hosmer is “inching closer” to a congressional run for the 1st district seat now held by Rep. Frank Guinta. If Hosmer makes the run, he will face former Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter and Joanne Dowdell in the race for the Democratic nomination.
Today, an unusually partisan statement from Portsmouth Mayor Tom Ferrini over the permanent closure of the Memorial Bridge is fueling speculation that he too is gearing up for a run.
In a statement issued following the announcement of the Memorial Bridge closure, the mayor was quick to praise Gov. John Lynch and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen — both Democrats — for their support of the $90 million bridge replacement project over the years.
But he was just as quick to rip the state’s Republican representatives in Washington. He said Congressmen Frank Guinta and Charles Bass and Sen. Kelly Ayotte all voted for a federal budget that cut $20 million in TIGER transportation grants allocated for the Memorial Bridge.
When asked point blank by Portsmouth Herald’s Charles McMahon if he is running for the congressional seat, Ferrini offered a standard non-denial.
“I’m considering a variety of political options, including running for City Council again,” Ferrini said. When pressed further, the mayor reiterated his previous statement.
A progressive perspective on New Hampshire politics and other oddities.
William Tucker is an architect in Portsmouth.
Projected Democratic seats: 190
