The election was a clean sweep for Republicans as they racked up commanding wins in the gubernatorial and congressional races. Even the U-S Senate race � expected to be a tight one � tipped early in the GOP�s favor and stayed that way through the evening.
For a wrap up of last night�s races, we hear now from the NHPR reporters who have been following these campaigns. We begin with a report on the U-S Senate contest from Trish Anderton.
Analysts predicted the u-s senate race might go late into the night. But it wasn�t even eleven o-clock when John Sununu took the stage to thank a roaring crowd. Sununu credited the victory to a long list of supporters, from family to fellow politicians to his campaign staff and volunteers.
Nh is about campaigning town to town and person to person. Its that personal contact you make. Reaching out, listening, understanding nh priorities. And that can�t be done without all of you.
Sununu backers say voters responded to their candidate�s positive message and leadership qualities. They acknowledge the strong showing of republican candidates throughout the state helped. Also, a write-in campaign failed to materialize for the man Sununu defeated in the primary, Senator Bob Smith.
amb: JEANNIE, JEANNIE
While many of her supporters wiped away tears, Jeanne Shaheen fought to keep her tone upbeat. Shaheen said her six years as governor had brought many successes, including expanded kindergarten and lower electric rates. She added that her campaign had also served a good purpose.
we have raised imp issues, imp bc they matter to our families, biznesses, our future. This election is over. But imp battles remain.
Among those battles, Shaheen said, were getting the economy moving again and protecting social security. Shaheen�s supporters had few regrets, saying she ran a good campaign. Some blamed the loss on Mark Fernald�s weak candidacy for governor. Others said the state party has to retool its message to appeal to a broader spectrum of voters. While republicans celebrate a sweeping mandate, democrats will spend the next few months combing through this defeat and planning for 2004.
I�m Josh Rogers. Republican Craig Benson will be New Hampshire�s next governor. In his first attempt at pubic office, Benson trounced democratic challenger Mark Fernald by a nearly 20 point margin. The half-billionaire businessman spent more than ten million dollars of his own money to secure the Governorship��Benson said under his watch NH would be far more frugal with the money of taxpayers.
�Let there be no doubt that the people of NH want families to choose to spend their own money --- not the government.� (Cheers)
Benson congratulated his supporters � who he calls his brigade -- for their efforts during his 19 month campaign��But Benson also stressed their most important fight -- to make NH a low tax haven for entrepreneurs and business, had only just begun.
�This is what I like to term the NH advantage��..And It�s not going to be easy to preserve the NH advantage. It�s going to be all of us. We all need to work hard to do that. And I ask you to give me you creative ideas, you passion. And I ask you to give me you we need it all to turn the state of NH to turn the state into someplace we can all be proud of 100 years form now.�
Democratic rival Mark Fernald had hoped his candidacy would confound the pollsters who predicted a Benson win�..In his concession, Fernald noted with disappointment that his anti-property tax, pro-income tax platform � failed to take hold even where he expected its appeal would be greatest.
�You know you hear people complain about the property tax�.and when the votes are done tonight. Almost every donor town will have voted republican � think about that. And many of those poor towns will have voted republican too. They will have voted for more property tax, for more donor towns, for a continuation of the statewide property tax..�
Fernald, whose gave up his State Senate seat to make a second run for governor, did not, however rule out a future return to public life. The Sharon attorney seemed to have little trouble convincing loyalists, that the income tax will yet have its day�.
�I had a pundit the other day ask me�..what is it going to take in this election if I lose to drive a stake in the heart of the income tax��I�� turn that question around. What is it going to take to drive a stake in the heart of the property tax.�
Clearly, this election leaves Fernald still searching for that answer.
I�m David Darman.
In the First Congressional District, Republican Jeb Bradley won against Martha Fuller Clark, the Democrat. In his speech to supporters, Bradley emphasized how he would help the president defeat terrorism. And he promised to get the economy rolling again.
10 225 we have to get Americans back to work. And I will once again work with the president to make sure that we have frugal government, and lower taxes, to get more money into the economy, so that we can get folks here in new Hampshire and across the country, back on the job and restore prosperity. (applause) 10 248
Bradley pledged to work for more affordable health care, and to get Congress to send more money to states for special education. And Bradley had kind words to say about Martha Fuller Clark, even though the two candidates had engaged in a campaign marked by months of negative advertising.
In her concession speech, Martha Fuller Clark told her supporters that their effort had been inclusive, and brought many new people into politics. Clark said that accomplishment was something she took pride in.
06 56 there is no greater legacy than we can leave at the end of this campaign. And while we didn�t win, this election, we did build something, we did achieve something. 06 109
This was Clark�s second run for the first Congressional Seat. She also lost two years ago to incumbent Congressman John Sununu.
For NHPR news, I�m DD
I�m RMD. In the race for New Hampshire�s second congressional district seat, Republican Charlie Bass defeated Democrat Katrina Swett. Bass won 57 percent of the vote to Swett�s 40%. As the only incumbent vying for a top office in New Hampshire, Bass had the luxury of running a relatively clean campaign. And in his victory speech, he said that�s how campaigns should be run.
BASS :14 elections should be about presenting your record and your qualifications and we did exactly that. It should be about building your candidacy up, not tearing your opponents� down and we did that too. FADE CHEERS
Bass said that his victory is proof that money doesn�t win a seat in Congress. Swett ran a tough, energetic race with the help of significant campaign contributions from national Democratic political action committees. After conceding the race, Swett said she had taken on the toughest task in American politics � attempting to unseat a popular incumbent.
SWETT :14 we were undertaking a challenge against a not terribly controversial or disliked incumbent, who�s a republican in a very republican state as we saw a republican sweep. I frankly am impressed and very gratified how well we did.
Charlie Bass will start his fifth term in Congress next January. He says he�ll push for increased federal funding of special education and make sure that the ban on so-called soft money actually leads to cleaner elections.
For N-H-P-R News, I�m RMD.
