A dozen New Hampshire cities held elections Tuesday The results, however, resist easy generalization.
If one thing can be said about election results statewide, it’s that issues of taxes and spending dominated top of the ticket races…..It was not only the main theme in Frank Guinta's surprise upset three-term Manchester Mayor Bob Baines……It also fueled the passage of a tax cap in Laconia, as well as the successful petition drive to force a possible recall vote on Nashua Mayor Bernie Streeter…… According to New Hampshire Democratic Party chair Kathy Sullivan, pocketbook issues drove the 2005 elections.
"Look at the results in Portmouth, Laconia, Manchester, and also Nashua, the recall….it all to the insistence by NH voters that fiscal conservatism come first and foremost in the platform of any candidate."
Sullivan's gloss was echoed by plenty of state republicans. Here's Alicia Preston, spokesperson for Mayor elect Guinta.
"Well I think the elections across the state showed a level of frustration -- certainly in Laconia, we saw that in Nashua…..It all comes back to the issue of money and hopefully it will be a move towards fiscal conservatism. I think that's the message people really focused on across the New Hampshire yesterday."
Yet plenty of results defy such monolithic conclusions……In Laconia, for instance, voters passed a tax cap…..But they also elected a Mayor and several city counselors who staunchly opposed capping spending growth to the consumer price index. measure…….Results in Manchester were similarly inconsistent.…..As failed aldermanic candidate and current Republican State Rep. Steve Vaillancourt points out, apart from the mayors race, staunch fiscal conservatives had a rough time.
"This is a major loss for republicans -- on board of mayor and alderman they went from theee down to do and on the school committee they wen't from five down to two…..But of course the big enchilada is the mayor -- so obviously it was a personal victory for Guinta."
And, also, to be sure, a personal loss for Bob Baines…….Baines and his camp had plenty of seeming advantages -- name recognition, the ability to raise money……as well as the bully pulpit that comes with the incumbency…….But those weren't enough.…..Explanations for Baines defeat vary, but state democratic party chair Kathy Sullivan says in hindsight it's clear that Guinta's bare-knuckled assualt on the mayor's record on taxes and education, and crime took an unanticipated toll.
"There were some very negative advertisements done and the mayor refused to respond in a negative manner the mayor insisted on running a positive campaign no matter what other people may have suggested."
And in fact Baines's campaign not only refrained from attacking Guinta in kind -- it barely acknowledged his existence……St. Anselm political scientist Dante Scala says that much may have been costly.
"I think people though that in a city which is prosperous and doing well the mayor didn't really have to do to much to get elected….and perhaps there was too much complaceny because they thought he had it in the bag."
Overall the 2005 elections, elected 6 new mayors, that number could grow if the pending the outcome of the bid to recall Nashua incumbent Bernie Streeter……The Nashua city clerk has ten day to certify that petition….If it's approved, alderman would must schedule an election within 45 days.
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