Jeb Bradley and John Stephen traveled to Stratham this past weekend, to try and rev up supporters and volunteers for tomorrow’s Primary.
They and other Republican candidates braved the rain to speak and shake hands at the Seacoast Republican Women’s Annual Chili Fest.
New Hampshire Public Radio’s David Darman has more.
Skies were cloudy when the Chili Fest got underway at the Scamman Farm.
And the rain held off long enough for former Congressman Jeb Bradley to make his pitch for GOP voters to give him the chance for a rematch against Democrat Carol Shea Porter, who beat him in 2006.
I’m here to tell you I’m ready for Wednesday, I’m ready to get the job done for all of us in nh again. I need your help. Thank you so much and God bless. (sx cheers)
Mark and Donna Sykas of Stratham have been supporting Bradley.
Mark is Bradley’s town chair.
Donna says she’s been reaching out to other Republicans in town.
I have been so excited about the phone calls that I’ve made. I’ve made about 175 phone calls, and some are undecided, maybe uh less than a third and I’m surprised that so many so close to it that people are undecided but I have to say for the rest of them about 95 percent are voting for Jeb…
Some of those undecided Republicans were eating chili and cornbread as the candidates spoke.
Nancy Peacock of Newmarket said she still hadn’t made a decision about who to support for Congress.
…at this point not at this point, no.(DD) figure it out in the couple of days? Yeah, got to ha ha ha That’s why I’m here listening to what everybody’s got to say.
A few of John’s Stephen’s supporters were at the Chili Fest, trying to convince undecided voters to support the former Health and Human Services Commissioner.
Former Executive Councilor Ruth Griffin of Portsmouth has endorsed Stephen, and she said she’s been working hard to get him past former Congressman Jeb Bradley.
Well, I’m putting up signs and I’m telling people doing the grass roots things that work. Are you calling on all those people that may be on your voting lists from years gone by? Yeah I got a few names there. I’ll bet. I never threw that stuff away.
John Stephen was the last candidate to arrive at the Chili Fest.
And steady rain was falling by the time he gave his speech.
Stephen said he had a good reason to be so late.
It happens to be my daughter’s first hockey game with the Manchester flames, I am a hockey dad. She actually was one of three girls who made the team this year and this is big moment for her so I had to watch her get on that ice….
Both Stephen and Jeb Bradley have spent a lot of time this summer connecting with voters on the Seacoast.
Neither candidate can claim the area as a home base.
And it is the most vote rich area in the first district beside the Greater Manchester region.
Professor Dante Scala at UNH says both candidates need to do well in the region to have a chance to win the primary.
Bradley is from Wolfeboro, so he should be strong in the Lakes Region and Carroll County.
Stephen is from Manchester, and he should do well there.
Scala says because of these dynamics, it could be telling to watch how the vote goes in Manchester.
Probably Manchester comes in early so we’ll see if Stephen wins by a lot or by a little. If Stephen wins by a little in Manchester than its probably going to be Jeb Bradley’s night, if he wins by a lot then that’s a good start for Stephen but I think its necessary for him to do in order to win the whole primary.
Some political analysts say they expect a number of conservative voters to come out in a primary expected to have an overall light turnout.
That could help Stephen, who has called himself a “fiscal conservative’ in his race against Jeb Bradley.
But Bradley may be better known to voters, since he has served two terms in Congress.
Voters get to determine the winner in tomorrow’s Republican primary.
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