Republican Gov. Chris Sununu defeated Democratic state Sen. Tom Sherman on Tuesday, changing into solely the second governor in New Hampshire historical past to win a fourth time period.
After dealing with intense strain to run for U.S. Senate, Sununu shocked the political institution final 12 months when he as an alternative determined to hunt one other two-year time period as governor. Saying he was unwell suited to the sluggish pace of politics in Washington, he argued he might have an even bigger and extra direct influence as governor than as a senator.
He simply defeated 5 different Republicans within the Sept. 13 major, whereas Sherman, a doctor from Rye who has served two phrases within the state Senate, was unopposed for his celebration’s nomination.
Sherman, 65, made abortion rights a central situation of his marketing campaign, criticizing Sununu for signing a legislation banning the process after 24 weeks of being pregnant. He additionally accused Sununu of prioritizing his personal ambitions over his constituents and caving to the calls for of extremists within the Legislature.
“He’s not focused on New Hampshire. He’s focused on what the extremists want him to do in the Legislature, putting in place the first abortion ban in modern history, creating subsidies for private schools while the rest of the state is struggling,” Sherman stated throughout a latest debate. “He’s taking a victory lap before we even have plans in place.”
But Sununu insisted inflation was the highest situation and argued his fiscally accountable management had allowed the state to flourish.
“The state’s rockin’ it, it really is,” he stated throughout a debate final month. “We have challenges, and we take them head on. But at the end of the day, you know, this is the place everybody wants to be.”
The son of a former governor, Sununu was the youngest high government within the nation when he took workplace in 2017 at age 42. Now 48, he had a comparatively clean first time period when Republicans held legislative majorities, made lavish use of his veto pen when Democrats have been in management throughout his second, and simply gained a 3rd time period after campaigning on his management throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
But although Republicans gained again management of the Legislature in 2020, the final two years have been rockier for the governor due to the rising affect of the Free State Project, whose libertarian-leaning members clashed with Sununu of their quest to severely restrict state authorities. That rigidity got here to a head in August when Sununu inserted himself into an issue on the Gunstock ski space, pushing again towards anti-government activists who favor privatizing the county-owned facility and calling for the ouster of three fellow Republicans from the Legislature who oversee the resort.
The solely different New Hampshire governor to serve 4 phrases was Democrat John Lynch.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”