The New Hampshire Rebellion will hold its fourth annual “Granny D” memorial walk this weekend, commemorating the late campaign finance reformer’s cross-country journey to get money out of politics. Organizers say there’s a lot of work left to be done at the national — and local — level.
Supporters will gather Saturday morning at Doris "Granny D" Haddock’s former home in Dublin, N.H., and march six miles to Peterborough’s Depot Square.
That’s just a fraction of the original 3,200-mile, 14-month trek that 90-year-old Haddock took across the country to raise awareness for campaign finance reform.
But Olivia Zink, with the New Hampshire Rebellion and its parent group Open Democracy, says even these smaller events are invigorating for those still trying to carry on Haddock’s legacy.
“Many individuals feel like our system is broken, and we need to fix it,” Zink says. “The more we can come together, gather together, to know that we can collectively continue to build community to work for the passage of these things, it always fills our hearts with hope.”
Zink says the group wants greater transparency in New Hampshire’s campaign finance system, and also wants the state to consider following the lead of others that have adopted public financing options for local elections.
“We're working to ensure every dollar that's put into political campaigns needs to register and report, and there's work to do on that front,” Zink says.
