Mayoral hopeful Carlos Gonzalez is looking to unseat two term incumbent Bob Baines. In a city not known for quiet elections, veterans of Manchester politics are calling this year’s mayor’s race unusual. But as New Hampshire Public Radio Correspondent Rebecca Kaufman reports, the final days of campaigning didn’t go unnoticed.
Governor Craig Benson stood on the steps outside Manchester’s City Hall at a rally Saturday morning.
Benson said Representative Carlos Gonzalez kept state taxes from rising.
Manchester, said Baines, needs a mayor who will do the same.
Track 5 1:28 he has the type of outlook that I think is necessary for the 21st century…all votes rise under Carlos’s regime, and we don’t put the burden back on the taxpayers, we look for the citizens of Manchester to stand strong together…that’s the New Hampshire way of doing things and that’s what Carlos is going to bring…cheers….cheers
Track 5 2:00 Carlos, Carlos, Carlos, Carlos……
The enthusiastic group snacked on donuts and coffee before heading off to pass out Gonzalez flyers.
Track 14 2:00 sound of street, car honking
But the group of mostly republicans didn’t have downtown to themselves.
When Democrat Bob Baines got word of the rally, he mobilized his troops.
City democrats and presidential campaign staffers lined Elm Street holding signs and chanting.
Track 7 1:00 we want Baines, we want Baines, we want Baines…
Manchester City Democratic Chair Ray Buckley says it’s nice to see the campaigns so visible.
But Buckley adds that the choice for mayor was already clear.
Track 11 :09 the problem is the public feels very positive about the way things are going, they don’t see the challengers as being credible challengers
Republican Party chair Jayne Millerick was also at the Gonzalez rally.
She says fiscally conservative Republicans like Gonzalez have done very well in recent elections.
Track 1 1:10 what he has been saying and I agree with him 100% is that this mayor has been on a spending spree since he took office, spending has increased over 41 million dollars, and property taxes have increased over 15%, parking fees and fines have increased 100%, and the list goes on and on
But Gonzalez’s promise to reign in spending didn’t convince even the conservative editors at the Union Leader.
On Sunday, the paper ran an editorial supporting Mayor Baines.
It said Gonzalez just wasn’t ready for the job.
At a debate on Sunday, Democrat Bob Baines had a framed copy of the morning’s editorial.
Track 8 1:50 I don’t like to use props…the Union Leader endorsed Bob Baines for mayor (laughs from crowd)…who would have ever thought it?
It’s also likely no-one would have thought that this mayor’s race is non-partisan.
Baines, like most Queen city democrats, feels strongly about keeping it that way.
He’s telling voters to oppose changes to the city charter that would make city-wide elections partisan.
Track 17 :58 partisan elections, who wants partisan elections? the average person in the street, they just want to go vote for the best candidate, I vote for republicans, I vote for democrats, I vote for the best candidate
Carlos Gonzalez supports partisan elections.
He has also accused Baines of mishandling the city’s 27.5 million dollar riverfront development project.
Gonzalez says there’s too much secrecy and back door deals in city hall.
Recently, the area for retail development was reduced from 200,000 square feet to 30,000.
Gonzalez says that a sign the project if faltering.
Baines argues that the development will not cost the taxpayers money.
And says he has bipartisan support, including Governor Benson’s.
Gonzalez has also questioned Baines’ even costlier project…105 million dollars in school renovations.
He says the money isn’t getting students out of portable classrooms or replacing tattered textbooks.
Track 3 1:22 the fact of the matter is, that four years have gone by and our principal, Mr. Baines, has done nothing, right under his face, under his nose, and he’s done nothing, I believe we can do better
A former high school principal, Baines says he is the first mayor in years to make a commitment to public education.
Track 16 :06 I was talking to a prominent republican the other day and he said if I could advise Mr. Gonzalez, don’t take on the mayor on education, people know I have a strong record on education
People are likely to get leaflets under their doors telling them all about the records of either candidate.
And they may already have received mail from a candidate who lost in the primary.
Former Manchester Mayor Bob Shaw announced his “write-in” campaign last week.
If anything, he admits, it might get people to the polls.
15:49 they know when they get to heaven god is going to ask them, did they vote, and they want to be able to say yes to that question, so I urge everybody if you plan on attending heaven, go vote.
For NHPR news, I’m RK
