Rep Jeb Bradley Has 1st District Competition

By Rachel Estabrook on Wednesday, August 18, 2004.

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Jeb Bradley and Bob Bevill will face off for the second time in two years in the Republican primary in the first congressional district.

They were two of eight candidates competing for the empty seat in 2002, but are alone in the race this year.

NHPRï¿½s Rachel Estabrook has a profile of the showdown between these two candidates that come from opposite sides of the GOP spectrum.

Bob Bevill can sound a lot like a Democrat sometimes.

He complains about job outsourcing, low-paying jobs, and says he never supported sending ground troops into Iraq.

But Bevill is no Democrat.

He's challenging Republican incumbent Jeb Bradley in the primary in the first congressional district.

He hopes to improve on his eighth place finish from two years ago.

And heï¿½s coming in from the right.

TAPE: the big difference between me and Jeb Bradley is I am very pro-life, 100% pro-life, and heï¿½s also supported gay adoption. These issues are at odds with the President and with regular republicans and the republican platform.

Pro-choice activists arenï¿½t pleased with Bradley at the moment either.

Bradley identifies himself as pro-choice and voted that way several time in the New Hampshire statehouse.
But when he got to Washington he voted to ban a late term abortion procedure opponents call partial birth abortion.

Maybe thatï¿½s one reason why Bradley is downplaying the importance of social issues in this primary election.

TAPE: I think the issues facing our country are three critical issues. The defense and security of our nation, getting our economy continued, recovery is a top priority, and also the access and affordability of healthcare are the three big issues that I think people will be talking about through this election cycle.

The vote for the so-called partial birth abortion ban is one of many party-line votes Bradley has cast.

He voted 93% of the time with republican leadership in his first year in Congress.

Still, Bradley seems to fit the fiscally conservative but socially centrist model characteristic of many republicans voting in New Hampshire.

And his popularity has increased while heï¿½s been in office.

The UNH Survey Center reports 48% of likely voters in the first district have a favorable opinion of Bradley, up from 44% two years ago.

And Bradleyï¿½s incumbency gives him a leg up in fundraising and name recognition.

But being an incumbent could hurt Bradley among voters who look at the thousands of manufacturing and other jobs that have been lost in the state.

Two years ago Bradley campaigned on the promise of bringing new jobs to New Hampshire, and critics say he hasnï¿½t delivered.

Bevill suggests he can better address the problem and says heï¿½ll make job creation the top priority if heï¿½s elected.

TAPE: When I get elected to Congress we will be working on bringing jobs back to NH and also filling up a lot of this empty commercial real estate with high tech business and manufacturing business, bringing the work back to NH.

In fact, while Bevill is quick to blame Bradley for the countryï¿½s missteps over the past two years, the challenger stands firmly behind President Bush.

Bradley, on the other hand, is careful to not even say his challengerï¿½s name, to avoid bringing Bevill any added attention.

And although Bradley insists heï¿½s not overlooking the primary, heï¿½s also not preoccupied with his opponent.

TAPE: Iï¿½m running on my record. And itï¿½s up for other candidates to run on what they believe is the appropriate course of action for our country. And I think itï¿½s incumbent on me to stick to the issues, stick to what I think is important, rather than to speculate on someone elseï¿½s campaign.

Bevill is facing an uphill battle.

He says he has a small staff, but no campaign office.

And the internet connectivity business owner and radio show host is unable to campaign during the daytime because he is still working full time, mostly in Boston.

In addition, the FEC reports as of June 30 Bevill had raised less than 5000 dollars compared to Bradleyï¿½s almost 700 thousand.

Despite all this Bevill insists he can relate to voters better than his opponent.

TAPE: I represent the views of the people. Jeb Bradley has lived off a trust fund all his life. I know what itï¿½s like to make a paycheck, I know what itï¿½s like to have to live under a budget. Jeb Bradley has never had to worry about that.

Bevill has recently had another real life experience; he just filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy.

He says his voice will be heard more clearly this go-round because heï¿½s one of only two candidates featured in the primary.

Voters are set to decide on September 14.

For NHPR News, Iï¿½m RE.