Conservative Democrat Eyes Conservative District

Windham resident Barbara Coish raves about Democrat Daphne Kenyon.

TAPE: Daphne is extremely intelligent woman, well educated, a wonderful mother, very clever.

Coish knows the state Senate candidate from their time together on the Windham school board.

She describes Kenyon as a creative thinker, an asset in Concord.

TAPE: but I also know Bob Letourneau and what he’s done for this town. He’s kept both the school board and the selectmen and the constituents up to date when things are happening up at the statehouse. And I think he’s representing us well.

Coish’s sentiments highlight the steep climb Kenyon has in front of her if she hopes to take Letourneau’s seat.

Registered Republicans outnumber Democrats by 3500 in District 19.

Historically, undeclared voters here break strongly for Republicans.

And Letourneau comes from Derry, the town with the most Democrats.

TAPE: How are you? I am running for state Senate....

Kenyon is walking up and down Broadway in Derry, passing out pamphlets.

TAPE: you oppose income and sales tax...exactly. many people agree with that....wonderful. thank you.

As Kenyon walks away the woman tells her ‘I hope you get elected.’

Kenyon is banking on her credentials as a fiscal conservative.

She also makes sure to mention that her husband is a Republican, whose family is from Derry.

But Kenyon’s real advantage- at least on paper- is that she’s an economist who understands education policy.

TAPE: Having spent two years at the Lincoln Institute studying school funding across the country, I can point to how they do it in Michigan, how they do it in Ohio, how they do it in New Jersey.

Kenyon’s background in education could help because Derry took a huge hit in the most recent school funding formula.

The town stands to lose $7.5 million dollars a year in state aid.

Kenyon says Letourneau just watched it happen.

TAPE: the people who are paying attention to what’s going on in Concord, realize that he didn’t put forth any amendments, he didn’t work on concrete legislation.

TAPE: trying to put an amendment on that bill...sponsor of the bill were the committee chair and committee vice chair. They weren’t taking any amendments. And when I went over to the House, they weren’t taking any amendments....I tried....it was going through the way it was.

That’s Senator Letourneau.

Without any recourse, Letourneau says tried to apply political pressure.

TAPE: I brought in the school superintendent, I brought in teachers, and they explained, and I asked, where would you have us cut 30% of our budget.... or would you rather have us raise taxes....Derry is the third largest school district in the state.

Ultimately, the Legislature adopted a provision that delays cuts in Derry’s current funding over the next several years.

Many residents in senate district 19 right now are anxious about anything that could increase their property taxes.

Windham is already building a new high school, and Derry suffers from one of the highest per-capita mortgage foreclosure rates in the state.

This race may have caught Senator Letourneau off guard a bit.

He sent out a fundraising letter dated October 21st, claiming that Democrats were targeting his district like never before.

And in order to fund his campaign he needed to raise an additional $20,000 immediately.

As of the middle of the month, Letourneau had spent only $8300 in the general election.

Kenyon, in contrast had spent over three times that amount.

Derry News editor Bill Gilman says one advantage Letourneau has is his reputation as someone who will fight for the district.

But he says Kenyon could easily make the case she doesn’t have to fight for the district.

TAPE: ‘hey, I am going to have the ear of the governor, I am going to be part of the majority, and I’ve got knowledge, I am coming and I am going to Concord, I am cleaning house, and I am going to make sure Derry gets what’s theirs. That’s the message.

Letourneau says despite the tough challenge he’s facing, he isn’t worried.

TAPE: the people in these communities know me. I have been working with them on a day to day basis. I talk to them on the phone. I meet them in the streets. I see them all the time...I listen to them. And I make my votes accordingly....I feel pretty good about the race.

Letourneau’s optimistic that his support will come from constituents he has helped along the way.

Like the woman who had a salty well and was getting the bureaucratic runaround.

He says, it’s that kind of community service that he loves. if he wins, it’s because constituents like that came out for him.

For NHPR News, I’m DG.