a guide to the Democratic and Republican candidates seeking their respective nominations to run for governor of New Hampshire

Democrat John Lynch has handily maintained control of the governor’s seat in Concord ever since defeating Republican Craig Benson in 2004. He won reelection by a landslide in 2006, 2008 and 2010, and has endured as one of the Granite State’s most popular governors of all time.

But Lynch is not running for reelection in 2012, and that makes this year’s gubernatorial primaries the most intriguing state races in nearly a decade. There are three Republicans and three Democrats vying for their party’s nomination on Tuesday, Sept. 11. The two winners will face off in November in what promises to be a very close contest.

With Republicans currently holding super majorities in the state House and Senate, a GOP victory in the governor’s race could give the party complete control over the legislature. But Democrats hope to win back some of those seats and retain control of the governorship.

For voters, the primaries are a chance to help shape the race that unfolds in the fall. What follows is a guide to the six candidates, including their biographies, top priorities, and positions on some of the state’s most heated issues.

Don’t forget to study up on the other state and federal primaries taking place on Sept. 11. Check page 4 of this issue for a list of polling locations and hours.

Democrats

Jackie Cilley, www.jackiecilley.com: Jackie Cilley, a Berlin native now living in Barrington, served two terms in the state Senate from 2006 to 2010, and before that served one term in the House of Representatives. She lost her reelection bid to Republican Fenton Groen in the 2010 elections. Cilley graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a B.A. in psychology and earned an M.B.A. from the UNH Whittemore School of Business & Economics, where she later served as an adjunct professor. Prior to teaching, she owned a small marketing firm. She is married with five sons. 

Cilley has sought to distinguish herself from her top primary opponent and Republican candidates by emphasizing that she has not taken the pledge to oppose a broad-based sales or income tax. Though she has not expressed outright support for such taxes, she says she remains open to all ideas regarding tax structure reform, and she has criticized other candidates for catering to “pledge politics” (she has even launched an advertisement comparing pledge-takers to mindless zombies).

She says any reforms to the tax structure should reduce the state’s property tax burden. Pointing to exaggerated revenue projections for the cigarette tax, she says the state must use more reliable data to balance the budget.

Cilley says the keys to creating good jobs in New Hampshire are investing in education, transportation and community infrastructure, and maintaining a healthy environment. In order to attract desirable businesses, she says, the state must have a well-educated and skilled labor pool and supportive infrastructure.

In regard to health care, she says the state must work with the federal government to stimulate public-private partnerships in health care delivery reform, focusing on affordability, accessibility, and patient safety. She also believes the state needs a strategic energy plan to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and invest in energy efficiency.

She supports same-sex marriage, opposes the death penalty, and would veto any attempt to restrict women’s reproductive rights. She would not veto legislation to legalize medical marijuana if such a bill reached her desk. She supports the right to bear arms but favors “prudent oversight” of the licensing system.

Cilley opposes “right-to-work” legislation to restrict collective bargaining rights for labor unions. She remains open to the controversial Northern Pass transmission project but says the idea requires further assessment.

Maggie Hassan, www.maggiehassan.com: Maggie Hassan, of Exeter, served three terms in the state Senate from 2004 to 2010, acting as both president pro tempore and majority leader during her time in office. She lost her reelection bid to Republican Russell Prescott in the 2010 elections. An attorney, Hassan earned her B.A. from Brown University and a J.D. from the Northeastern School of Law. Her husband, Tom Hassan, is the principal of Phillips Exeter Academy. They have two children.

Hassan says creating jobs and growing the economy is her top priority. Her “Innovate NH” jobs plan is aimed at aligning the state’s education system with the needs of modern businesses, creating a highly trained workforce. Hassan says harnessing the ideas and technologies coming out of New Hampshire colleges and universities could attract new companies and help existing ones innovate and thrive. Her stance on education stands in stark contrast with that of the current Legislature, which has cut funding for the University System of New Hampshire in half.

Raising a child with a severe disability has made health care another top issue for Hassan. As a state senator, she helped pass a bill aimed at making it easier for small businesses to provide health insurance to employees. She also supported legislation allowing people to stay on their parents’ health care plans until age 26, ensuring divorced spouses have access to family insurance plans, and requiring insurance companies to cover autism treatment. She has been a vocal critic of Republican efforts to repeal a law requiring health insurance policies to cover women’s contraception.

Hassan supports same-sex marriage. She also supports collective bargaining rights for labor unions and opposes so-called “right-to-work” legislation. As a senator, she helped pass legislation raising New Hampshire’s minimum wage.

Hassan supports the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a regional cap-and-trade program aimed at reducing carbon emissions, from which Republicans have sought to withdraw the state.
Hassan has backed some expanded gambling bills and says she is “open to the possibility” of bringing one highly regulated casino to the state.

Unlike her two primary opponents, Hassan has pledged not to support any broad-based sales or income tax. She says New Hampshire can generate revenue without such taxes and has criticized her opponents for not taking a more definitive stance on the issue.

Bill Kennedy, www.billkennedyforgovernor.com: Bill Kennedy, a Portsmouth High School grad, is a retired member of the U.S. Air Force. Kennedy graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a B.A. in sociology (criminal justice concentration) and later earned a master’s degree in international relations through the University of Oklahoma. He has lived in New Hampshire on and off since 1967 and once operated a retail business in North Hampton. He also once worked for the Northwood Fire Department as an emergency medical technician. He currently lives in Danbury with his wife and three dogs.

A self-described “centrist,” Kennedy is a proponent of the “right to education” and believes the state should provide equitable funding for public schools. He also believes greater state intervention is required to protect children from abuse and neglect.

Kennedy believes the state must make health care affordable to everyone and provide “an umbrella of coverage” for those who can’t afford it. He believes the state should improve its mental health and senior care facilities and standards.

Unlike his two primary opponents, Kennedy has expressed outright support for a broad-based income tax, but only if it results in a 50-percent cut in property taxes and abatements to business and corporate taxes. 

Also unlike his opponents, he has declared his strict opposition to casinos in the state, saying they would result in social issues, crime and corruption.

Kennedy supports same-sex marriage and, as an Air Force member, opposed the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. He is pro-choice and supports reproductive services for women. He is against the death penalty.

Kennedy supports the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and other green energy initiatives, and he opposes the Northern Pass project as proposed. He says he would only support the project if it established an alternative line and guaranteed reduced utility rates across the state.

Another priority for Kennedy is campaign finance reform. He supports a system that uses public funding and limits the influence of lobbyists and special interests.

He says he would increase government efficiency by eliminating waste and fraud, consolidating, modernizing and targeting funds.

Republicans

Ovide Lamontagne, www.ovide2012.com: Manchester native Ovide Lamontagne is a lawyer who has run for political offices in the past but has never won an election. He received his party’s nomination for governor in 1996 but lost to Democrat Jeanne Shaheen, and he ran for U.S. Senate in 2010 but lost in the primary to Kelly Ayotte. He graduated from the Catholic University of America and later earned a J.D. from the University of Wyoming College of Law. He served as chair of the N.H. State Board of Education from 1993 to 1996. He lives in East Manchester with his wife, two daughters and foster son.

As governor, Lamontagne says he would keep taxes low and insist on “zero-based” budgeting. He has pledged not to support any broad-based tax and has vowed to reform the state’s business tax code and simplify rules.

Lamontagne says he will work to repeal “outdated regulations” and further deregulate the energy industry to lower utility costs. He says he will also make regulatory reforms for local financial institutions and improve the commercial lending environment for small- and medium-sized businesses.

Lamontagne is a staunch supporter of “right-to-work” legislation to limit the collective bargaining rights of labor unions, saying such legislation will encourage businesses to relocate to New Hampshire. He says he will “actively recruit” national and international job creators to the state.

Lamontagne supports legislation that would create a religious exemption to contraceptive coverage requirements in insurance policies. He is against abortion and same-sex marriage. He says he would be an advocate of gun ownership rights.

He supports “school choice” legislation that would open up public money for scholarships to private and religious schools—a policy opposed by most Democrats. He says he would reform the state’s education funding system by restoring local control over public schools and allowing targeted aid to communities in need.

Lamontagne says he would implement free market reforms to encourage competition in the health care system, which he believes would improve the quality of care and drive down costs. He would also continue to work on pension reform.

In 2011, Lamontagne was named “Conservative of the Year” by Americans for Prosperity-New Hampshire, the local branch of the conservative political advocacy group founded by the Koch brothers.

Kevin Smith, www.kevinsmithforgovernor.com: Litchfield resident Kevin Smith is a conservative activist who served one term in the N.H. House in 1997. He is the president of a government and public relations consulting firm, Smith Enterprises, and previously served as executive director of the conservative advocacy group Cornerstone Action. He has also worked for former U.S. Sen. Bob Smith and former Gov. Craig Benson. Smith graduated from Londonderry High School and later studied at UNH-Manchester. He is married with three children.

Smith has launched a plan to change the corporate tax structure in New Hampshire and incentivize companies to grow and relocate to the state. He proposes to reform the business profits tax and business enterprise tax with the goal of making the state more attractive to employers and entrepreneurs. He has pledged to oppose any broad-based sales or income tax.
Smith wants to use state resources to create partnerships between companies and educational institutions to put students on career paths in emerging job sectors. He says he would modernize the state’s technology infrastructure to more efficiently deliver government services and cut down on waste.

He opposes the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and other “onerous” energy regulations, and says he would promote legislation that gives utilities the flexibility to provide the cheapest electricity possible.

Smith has said he opposes “Obamacare” and, as governor, would join a federal lawsuit to withdraw New Hampshire from its mandates. He says he would encourage competition among insurance companies, allow flexible alternative plans and overhaul state requirements on health care providers.

Smith says he would support a Constitutional amendment that puts control of education funding back in the hands of the legislature. He says he would insist on high standards and local control, and work to create new learning programs to prepare students for real-world employment.
He also lists veterans’ affairs among his priorities, saying he would push for a full service veterans’ hospital in the state, or the ability for veterans to access medical services at the hospital of their choosing.

Smith opposes abortion and same-sex marriage, although he says he would work with supporters of marriage equality to find “common ground whenever possible.” He says he would oppose any legislation to “infringe or erode” gun rights.

Robert Tarr, www.tarrforgovernor.com: Robert Tarr is a Dover native who graduated from Noble High School in Berwick, Maine, and later lived in Somersworth and Rochester before settling in Manchester. He has unsuccessfully run for several state and local offices, including the Manchester Board of Aldermen and School Board, and the N.H. House of Representatives. He has held management positions at a number of large department store chains and small variety stores, and has held several volunteer positions. He has four children.

Tarr has outlined three top issues he would prioritize as governor. The first is reducing the tax burden on small businesses across the state. He proposes to reduce the business profits tax and the capital gains tax by 2 percent each, and to offer one-year deferred allowances on certain taxes for startup businesses (he does not detail how he would compensate for the lost revenue from these measures). He says he would also loosen state regulations on small businesses.

Another priority for Tarr is to rein in spending through welfare reforms. He proposes a “welfare work program” that would require those receiving state assistance to conduct 80 hours of community service per month in their community, with exceptions for those age 55 or older, disabled people and full-time college students. He says the program would reduce municipal budgets while helping people find full-time work. He also supports drug tests for those seeking assistance, with exceptions for medical conditions.

His third priority is education reforms centered around restoring local control for cities and towns. He believes local governing bodies, and not the courts, should have control over their own education systems. Tarr believes cities and towns should be permitted to set their own educational standards, but he also says “measures will be in place” to ensure every city and town can provide their youth with a higher education.