Low-Profile Council Race Is High Priority For Governor Lynch

During election season, you can learn a few things if you hang out by the mail boxes at Concord’s Havenwood Hartitage Heights retirement community. On this day Elize Noordsij’s box included a letter from a gentleman she’d never heard of.

“Who is John Shea?”

-He’s an Executive Councilor.

“Democrat or Republican?”

-He’s a Democrat.

“I’ll vote for him.”

That dynamic has worked well for John Shea so far. His defeat of Republican Peter Spaulding was among the bigger surprises of 2006’s democratic landslide. It came in spite of Shea not having campaigned, and being in Belgium on election day. Governor Lynch’s was certainly caught off guard: At the time his lawn featured a Peter Spaulding campaign sign. But two years later, the Governor’s backing of his fellow democrat is loud and proud.

“John Shea has been I think a great executive councilor. He’s not someone who’s been out there promoting himself, but I’ve been very impressed with his role on the council.”

So far, that role has included supporting pretty much everything the Governor has sought. An assessment John Shea himself doesn’t dispute.

“There’s been no conflicts, and he’s just been a great choice to head this government.”

Democrats looking to ease any strains on John Lynch’s likely third term are doing all they can to ensure John Shea also gets another two years. The Governor has penned fundraising letters for Shea, and democratic phone calls on Shea’s behalf have been plentiful, if not always precisely targeted.

"I’ve received them myself at my household, yes, two different calls. One was a poll call and one was -- just support John Shea.”

That’s Dan St. Hilaire, the Merrimack county attorney, Concord’s Deputy Mayor, and Shea’s GOP challenger. St. Hilaire was spending this Saturday afternoon at a campaign cookout in Concord. He says he’s well aware of the partisan stakes of this election, but says for him the job is about defending district 2’s parochial interests, regardless of the council’s make up, or who occupies the corner office.

“If you’ve got somebody in there who is a rubber stamp that is not representing the people: you can’t agree on every issue with everybody all the time. For example, Deborah Pignatelli, she’s a Democrat and the Governor is a Democrat, but the people of Merrimack don’t want a toll there on the highway, so she has to oppose the Governor. That’s something that I’ll bring to the table; it’s what issues are unique to our district that other districts might not care about?”

Both candidates cite transportation policy and the highway plan as major concern for the coming term. On the appointment front, there could be far less drama -- Governor Lynch has already tapped 15 of the 17 state department heads. Who district 2’s voters will tap is difficult to predict. The districts winds from Chesterfield on the Vermont border all the way to Rollinsford, which abuts Maine. Shea is expected to run strong in Cheshire country; St. Hiliare should do well in Merrimack county. Both men are, meanwhile, working to increase their name recognition in vote-rich Rochester. Political observers agree that the lack of straight-ticket voting, which lawmakers repealed last year, will be a wildcard. The same goes for turnout.

“You know everyone’s focused on the national election. These other guys -- I’m just scared that so many people are scare of going in voting for president and leaving, voting for John McCain and going home.”

That’s GOP consultant Mike Dennehy, who was hosting the St. Hiliare cookout. Two hours later, speaking at the Democratic Party’s Jefferson Jackson dinner, House Speaker Terie Norelli offered party loyalists this tip on how to avoid snubbing down-ticket candidates.

“Start all the way down at the bottom with the County Commissioner race, and work your way all the way up to President Obama.”

Voters have two weeks to figure out how to mark their ballots.