The race to fill the vacancy on the executive council has taken on more urgency. Manchester Democratic state rep. John Kacavas will vie with Republican and former Queen City Mayor Ray Wieczorek to succeed district 4's Tom Colantuono, who recently resigned to become US Attorney.
NHPR's Josh Rogers has more.
New Hampshire?s pretensions to being unique often ring a little hollow. But not so when it comes to the governor?s council ? the five member panel charged with overseeing executive branch administration. No other state has an equivalent body ? which can approve or reject any state contracts in excess of $5000, to say nothing of all gubernatorial appointments to state agencies and the judiciary. According to former district 4 councilor Jim Normand, the council is perhaps best conceived of in terms borrowed from the private sector.
'When I served on the executive council it was very very clear. The executive council isn?t just another board. It is truly the board of directors of New Hampshire?s 2.5 billion dollar business.'
That corporate model seems to be shared by both candidates. While Kacavas, an lawyer who has served with both the US Department of Justice and the NH Attorney generals office peppered his kickoff speech with allusions to a ?new politics? untainted by ideology, his platform, such as it is, centers on the bottom line.
'Economic development, a transportation infrastructure that will support that economic development. Theses new challenges require leadership. The people of district 4 deserve a leader, not a partisan cheerleader.'
Republican Ray Weizorek says he takes some exception to Kacavas?s insinuation about partisanship on the GOP controlled council. But Weizorek admits he could not agree more with Kacavas?s stressing of economic development as crucial to swaying district 4 voters. Weizorek, whose tenure as Manchester Mayor ended in 1999, also doesn?t hesitate to take credit for what he claims is Manchester?s rebirth.
'The airport, the mill yard being filled up, the civic center which is the catalyst of the downtown the revitalization of the housing stock in this city. Economic development is something I?ve always supported and I?ve got a record to show this is exactly what I did.'
District 4?s special election is scheduled for February 5th. If either party requires a primary, the election will be pushed back until March 12th.
