A Close Rematch in Senate District 16

STORY: (Sounds of Backus on campaign trail) Hello, hello there, You've got a very friendly dog there. How are you doing sir? Come on in. Thank you.

Democrat Bob Backus says he's knocked on a lot of doors these past few months.

He’s going house to house in his bid to unseat Republican state senator Ted Gatsas.

The last time he ran against the 3 term incumbent, Backus lost by about 300 votes.

Coming in that close gave him hope that he can win this time.

BACKUS: I'm going to try to be a person trying to represent working families, and I have, over the years, as my career here, I've done a lot of work with citizen groups around energy and environmental issues and these things all have a big role that gets addressed in the legislature. And it's a place I'd like to be able to make a difference.

Backus recently won support of the New Hampshire State Employees Association.
Senator Gatsas just gained the endorsement of the Professional Firefighters of New Hampshire. He spoke at a recent firehouse event.

GATSAS: We're going to be in a time in the next few months where fire and police are going to be asked to check on the frail and elderly and people that are less fortunate during this heating season....So they're doing a great job and I'm sure they're going to continue doing a great job in making sure that those people remain safe.m1]

Ted Gatsas turned to politics full time eight years ago after selling his business.

That’s when he won his seat in the Senate.

About 5 years later, a political coup against the Senate leadership put Gatsas in the Senate President’s chair.

He lost it though when Democrats took power a year later.

Gatsas is now the minority leader.

GATSAS: I'm at the statehouse every day and work with constituents whenever they're there to address problems that they have.

Gatsas is also a Manchester Alderman.

Backus and Gatsas do agree on a few things.

For example they’ve both come out against income and sales taxes as a way to raise state revenues.

In fact Gatsas says the state doesn’t have a revenue problem,…it’s got a spending problem.

And he criticizes Governor John Lynch for increasing the state budget by 17 percent.

Gatsus: It's now coming back to roost. People were told in May of 2006 that the revenue figures were way too rosy, we shouldn't have expected that kind of revenue and needless to say. We don't have a revenue problem because the revenues are coming in but you can't base it on fictitious revenues that were built up to a point just to spend money.

But his rival, Bob Backus praises the Governor’s budget.

He says the increases can be attributed in large part to all those obligations the State has no control over, like health and retirement costs.

And he agrees with the Governor that as a result, cuts will have to be made across the board.

Backus: We have cut spending, we've made some tough cuts, and I think we're probably going to have to do some more.

Another area in which the two candidates differ has to do with limiting greenhouse gas emissions.

Last June, Governor Lynch signed the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, or RGGI (reggi).

The bill sets up a cap and trade program to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from utilities.

Ted Gatsas says it’s going to cost business too much and it could cost jobs.

GATSAS: We have some of the higher rates in the country for large commercial businesses. BAE Systems for every cent per kilowatt increase is a million dollars for their electric rate. It's not like they have a business that's only situated in NH. They've got plants in Oklahoma. They could move to No. Carolina which is less expensive in electric rates. So we need to start taking a look at what we're doing to business, because in NH that's the goose that lays the golden egg here.

Bob Backus strongly supports the measure, partly because the money made from the program will help pay for energy conservation.

BACKUS: I believe that in the long term we're going to save money with this, and it's going to help fund energy efficiency programs that we need as the cheapest, best alternative we have to addressing our very serious energy problems. And we do need to do something about carbon emissions.

Senator Gatsas likes to point out another difference he has with his challenger.

It involves the death penalty.

That’s a prominent issue here in Manchester.

The city is witnessing the trial of a man charged with the fatal shooting of a Manchester police officer.

GATSAS: I'm in favor of the death penalty. …… when somebody takes a life of somebody that protects us, if we can't stand behind the death penalty and say that that should happen, then I believe we're down the wrong road.

Bob Backus opposes the death penalty.

He says his many years as a lawyer have taught him that courts make mistakes.

BACKUS: Innocent people have without a doubt been executed in this country. And that's just something I find to be totally unacceptable. Now, I'm not in favor of not punishing people severely for the most heinous crimes, like the awful shooting of the officer here in Manchester two years ago. I think there should be life without parole. I think that's a maximum penalty, and I think in many ways it's worse than the death penalty.

With just a few weeks left, both candidates will be campaigning hard. Gatsas has the advantage of name recognition. Backus may benefit this time from sharing the same party as the hugely popular Gov. Lynch.

For NHPR News in Manchester, I'm Ellen Grimm.