Tomorrow, all across the state, school budgets, town budgets, bonds and a variety of other matters will be decided at town meetings. But Manchester and ten surrounding communities will also be electing the next fourth District Executive Councilor.
And as NHPR's Dan Gorenstein reports, it's not just the people of New Hampshire who are watching this race.
The challengers: on one side, Former Five-term Manchester Mayor Ray �the Wiz� Wieczorek, a fiscally conservative Republican, who ran a Democratic city. On the other side John Kacavas, first-term state representative from Manchester. an energetic Democrat who advocates what he calls economic planning with a conscience.
Sfx: sneak in crowd noise at Fratello�s.
Both candidates are using fundraising functions, like this one at Fratello�s in Manchester, to explain how they will best meet the duties expected of a New Hampshire Executive Councilor- approving state contracts and the Governor�s nominations made by the governor. It is a position where issues like taxes and gambling take a back seat to understanding political patronage, and evaluating people and documents.
It isn�t a law making position. And in this election year, the special election is certainly not one of the top races in the Granite State. Still a lot of politicos in the national parties are showing up to stump for the two candidates.
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2:20 this is a very important race to the people of NH, but it is also to the people at the RNC�
Republican National Committee Chair Marc Rociot stopped by to show the national party�s support for the former Manchester Mayor.
�b/c it has provided us with the chance to be more engaged in politics, and how it is you are so successful. We are trying to reinvigorate grassroots efforts, and the way people do that in NH, provide good lessons to be learned, for us to carry across the country.
House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt at a fundraiser for Kacavas last week.
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Gephardt
22:26 what has to happen in the next few days is to get every possible vote, to elect a wonderful, decent, integrity filled human being, to assume a position of trust and confidence for the people of NH, next week, let�s elect John Kacavas�.applause
So, why are big names spending time and money on a race that many in New Hampshire aren�t even aware of? St. Anselm�s Politics Professor Dante Scala says the executive council special election is the political equivalent to baseball�s spring training.
6:50 This is a chance for each party to flex their organizational muscels, to wake people up this is an election year, and try out messages to see if they work. You�ll have a small sample size, you might get an early sense what messages work, and what might not.
One message being trotted about is grassroots. At both the Rociot and Gephardt fundraisers, that word was used many more times than once. But New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Kathy Sullivan says there�s a reason for that.
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1:58 a lot of what grassroots is about is reaching out to grassroots voters, and pull them out to vote. In a special election it�s all about getting out the vote. IN a special election it�s all about getting out the vote�getting on the phone, sending letters, and doing your best to get them out to the polls. B/c this race is all about turnout.
And the parties hope the big names compel people to the polls. Sullivan says, in addition, because of the presidential primary, national leaders keep the state on the radar screen, and there aren�t any other elections right now. And she says many will use the race outcomes as a 21st century form of tealeaves.
:37 it�s a real test for both the Democrats and the Republicans about their political structures and organization for the November 2002 race. This is a little microcosm of Nov. 2002 when we have the governor�s race, the congressional seats.
How many die-hard Republicans will vote? Does the Democratic Party have its act together this year? These are the questions political observers will be answering once the results are in. And those answers will better handicap the really big races that are coming. For NHPR News, I�m DG.
