New Hampshire has a national reputation for retail politics. Voters expect the essence of a campaign to be a candidate personally asking citizens for their votes.
Statewide elections, to be sure, have for years employed consultants and pollsters and advertising professionals. But this election, in increasing numbers, candidates for state Senate races are turning to paid political consultants.
New Hampshire Public Radio correspondent John Milne has more:
Fourteen years ago, when Carl Johnson first became a Republican candidate from Meredith, he spent $300 dollars running for the House.
The investment could be considered a poor one, since Johnson earned just $200 for his two-year term.
In 2004, Johnson�s an incumbent state senator. The pay hasn�t changed, but the cost of campaigning is skyrocketing.
According to contribution and expenditure records filed this month, Johnson spent almost 19-thousand dollars just to win last week�s primary election. More than $10-thousand dollars went to pay the fees and expenses of Elevare, a Concord political consulting firm.
Senator Johnson says the expense was worth it.
(consultants1)
Well, it certainly went well, and I guess with a 2-1 margin you�d have to say we covered all the bases and we did everything you�d want to do in a correct manner.
Elevare was active in three other Republican Senate campaigns beside Johnson�s. Harry Hatayan won in the Nashua area. Bob Clegg in Hudson and Chuck Morse in Salem had no primary opposition.
Elevare�s president, Erik Taylor, argues that a consultant can build a well-rounded campaign, adding skills that an individual candidate may not possess.
Candidates still have to shake hands � talk to voters at coffees � and connect with citizens personally. Erik Taylor:
(consultants 1a)
I think consultants add an extra level. You can put together effective direct mail, you can hone down your message so it communicates effectively. I think it�s been pretty positive.
If there�s a negative side, it may be the decline of the quirky, colorful campaign stunts that made New Hampshire politics entertaining. A colorful direct-mail pamphlet may sell a senator�s message, but it�s nothing like a torchlight parade.
Secretary of State Bill Gardner oversees New Hampshire elections. He sees political consulting as nothing less than a brand new industry.
(consultant 2)
Campaigns have been changing over the past decade. Consultants play a bigger and bigger role. And it began statewide, races for governor, US Senate, US House. And as we�ve seen of late, it�s gradually working its way down the ballot. And bigger and bigger portions of a candidate�s expenses are being paid to consultants.
Talk to Gardner long enough, and he sounds like the owner of a mom-and-pop store, worrying about the competition from the chain stores at the mall.
(consultant 3)
It�s become an industry into itself. You can take graduate courses at a number of colleges and universities in campaign management, campaign techniques.
Mike Dennehey is a veteran Republican activist who consulted on a couple of campaigns this year. He blames the growth of partisanship for the greater intensity in legislative campaigns.
(consultant4)
I think it�s due to the closely divided party environments. There�s so much at stake for the parties to have control over their respective legislatures, that more and more money is being spent.
So while statewide campaigns spend their cash on, say, advertising on Boston stations, state Senate consultants work on attractive direct mail pieces. And races at all levels share some characteristics.
For example, many politicians insist that negative campaigning works. That�s debatable, consultants Dennehy and Taylor say, but all candidates believe they must be ready to conduct a nasty campaign.
And a campaign filled with rancor can follow a candidate into office. Bill Gardner talks frequently to legislators:
(Campaign 5)
I often hear them talk about it�s harder to govern afterwards because of the nature of the campaigns that are waged.
Campaigns for the Legislature will spend even more thousands of dollars between now and November 2nd.
For N-H-P-R News, I�m John Milne
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