State of New Hampshire secondary Archives: on Government Reform
Bob Smith:
Photo ID for voting
Question topic: People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Smith: Strongly Disagree
Source: Faith2Action iVoterGuide on 2014 New Hampshire Senate race
Jul 2, 2014
Andy Martin:
End partisan bickering and gridlock in Congress
Q: What would be your top priority, if elected?A: Work to end the partisan bickering and gridlock in the U. S. House.
Q: What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
A: Fighting endemic corruption
in government and politics.
Q: What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?
A: To stand up against prevailing orthodoxy.
Source: Ballotpedia.org Connection: 2020 New Hampshire Senate race
Aug 27, 2018
Bernie Sanders:
Establishment candidates are beholden to big money
SANDERS: Secretary Clinton has the support of far more governors, mayors, members of the House. She has the entire establishment behind her.CLINTON: I'm grateful to have the support of many elected officials. I think it's because they've worked with
me. They want me as their partner in the White House.
SANDERS: I am proud that we have over a million people who have contributed to our campaign. That our campaign is of the people, by the people, and for the people. Secretary Clinton does represent
the establishment. I represent ordinary Americans. What being part of the establishment is, is, in the last quarter, having a super PAC that raised $15 million from Wall Street, that throughout one's life raised lot of money from the drug companies and
other special interests. If we do not get a handle on money in politics and the degree to which big money controls the political process in this country, nobody is going to bring about the changes that is needed for the middle class and working families.
Source: MSNBC Democratic primary debate in New Hampshire
Feb 4, 2016
Bernie Sanders:
Congress represents the wealthy; they donate to ensure that
CLINTON: Sen. Sanders [hints that] anybody who ever took donations or speaking fees from any interest group has to be bought. You will not find that I ever changed a view or a vote because of any donation.SANDERS: Let's talk about why, in the 1990s,
Wall Street got deregulated. Did it have anything to do with the fact that Wall Street spent billions of dollars on lobbying and campaign contributions? Let's ask why it is that we pay the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs.
Let's talk about climate change. Do you think there's a reason why not one Republican has the guts to recognize that climate change is real? Do you think it has anything to do with the Koch brothers and ExxonMobil pouring huge amounts of money into the
political system? There is a reason these people are putting huge amounts of money into our political system. And it is undermining American democracy and it is allowing Congress to represent wealthy campaign contributors and not working families.
Source: MSNBC Democratic primary debate in New Hampshire
Feb 4, 2016
Bernie Sanders:
Litmus test for Supreme Court on Citizens United
You are not going to accomplish what has to be done for working families and the middle class unless there is campaign finance reform. So long as big money interests control the United States Congress, it is gonna be very hard to do what has to be done
for working families. So let me be very clear. No nominee of mine, if I'm elected president, to the United States Supreme Court will get that nomination unless he or she is loud and clear, and says they will vote to overturn Citizens United.
Source: MSNBC Democratic primary debate in New Hampshire
Feb 4, 2016
Bernie Sanders:
Overturn Citizens United: America is one person, one vote
Almost all new income is going to the top 1 percent. Then sustaining that rigged economy is a corrupt campaign finance system undermining democracy, where billionaires can contribute unlimited
sums of money into super PACs and into candidates. Our job is to create an economy that works for all and overturn Citizens United. One person, one vote. That's American democracy.
Source: MSNBC Democratic primary debate in New Hampshire
Feb 4, 2016
Bernie Sanders:
Presidency isn't winnable with public financing
Q: Why aren't you participating in the public financing system which is designed to keep big money out of presidential politics?SANDERS: I believe in public funding of elections. But this system is currently antiquated and nobody can become
president on that system. Should we do a Super PAC, but I concluded that I don't represent billionaires. The alternative was to ask working families and the middle class to help in a transformational campaign. We got 3.5 million individual contributions.
Source: MSNBC Democratic primary debate in New Hampshire
Feb 4, 2016
Bernie Sanders:
GOP loves voter suppression because it lets them win
Here's why I think I will be, if nominated, the strongest candidate. Democrats win when there is a large voter turnout; when people are excited. Republicans win when people are demoralized and you have a small voter turnout,
which by the way is why they love voter suppression. I believe that our campaign has shown we can create enthusiasm from working people, from young people, which will drive us to a large voter turnout.
Source: MSNBC Democratic primary debate in New Hampshire
Feb 4, 2016
Chris Pappas:
Opposed Photo ID for Voting
Pappas voted NO on HB 345: This bill requires a voter to present photographic identification or a voter affidavit to obtain a ballot. The bill establishes an exception to the identification requirement for persons personally known to certain election
officials.
- The ballot clerk shall require the person desiring to vote to furnish a state or federal government-issued photo identification to verify the person's identity, or
- the voter shall be permitted to submit an affidavit stating that:
- "I have not been issued an identification card by a state or federal government or I have lost possession of such an identification within the past 14 days."
- If a person desiring to vote states that he or she does not have a sufficient
identification, but such person is personally known to any of the city or town clerks as a person qualified to vote at such location, such person shall not be refused a ballot for lack of identification.
(Bill vetoed by Governor; veto sustained).
Source: New Hampshire state legislature voting records: Bill HB345
Feb 1, 2006
Chris Sununu:
End expansive government that stifles economic growth
I'm running for governor, because we need to close the opportunity gap that Democratic governors have slid us into over the past two decades.
We must end the expansive policies of government that are stifling economic growth in our state.
Source: Boston Globe on 2016 New Hampshire governor race
Sep 7, 2015
Chris Sununu:
Vetoed advocacy groups having to report receipts
Q: Require more disclosure about the sources of campaign financing?Chris Sununu: No. Vetoed bill requiring issues advocacy organizations to register and report receipts. Says it is "unnecessary and would have a chilling effect on
our citizens' rights."
Dan Feltes: Yes. Sponsored bill to ban corporate contributions. Calls it "important" to increase disclosure of campaign contributions and election spending.
Source: CampusElect survey on 2020 New Hampshire Gubernatorial race
Nov 3, 2020
Chris Sununu:
Vetoed automatic registration, no-excuse absentee voting
Q: Support stricter ID requirements and other rules on voting?Chris Sununu: Yes. Vetoed bills establishing automatic voter registration and no-excuse absentee voting. Signed bill law that, before a court limited its reach, required college students
who voted to re-register cars in the state.
Dan Feltes: No. "Voting rights are under attack as part of systematic effort." Seeks automatic voter registration, online voter registration, and permanent no-excuse absentee voting.
Source: CampusElect survey on 2020 New Hampshire Gubernatorial race
Nov 3, 2020
Chuck Morse:
Favored Photo ID for Voting
Morse voted YES on HB 345:This bill requires a voter to present photographic identification or a voter affidavit to obtain a ballot. The bill establishes an exception to the identification requirement for persons personally known to certain election
officials.- The ballot clerk shall require the person desiring to vote to furnish a state or federal government-issued photo identification to verify the person's identity, or
- the voter shall be permitted to submit an affidavit stating that:
- "I have not been issued an identification card by a state or federal government or I have lost possession of such an identification within the past 14 days."
- If a person desiring to vote states that he or she does not have a sufficient
identification, but such person is personally known to any of the city or town clerks as a person qualified to vote at such location, such person shall not be refused a ballot for lack of identification.
(Bill vetoed by Governor; veto sustained).
Source: The Daily Beast on New Hampshire voting record HB345
Feb 1, 2006
Chuck Morse:
New Hampshire runs the best elections in the country
[On election integrity in the presidential election]: "You can tell that by the way that the voters come out and vote and I'm proud of the way we run elections in New Hampshire," Morse said. Asked what he would say to the former president
and his many supporters who doubt the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election, Morse answered, "I'm very clear that New Hampshire runs the best elections in the country and I would tell him that."
Source: Concord Monitor on 2022 New Hampshire Senate race
Jan 28, 2022
Corky Messner:
Eliminate unnecessary rules and regulations
- Eliminate and reduce all unnecessary rules and regulations to help spark an "American Made" revolution.
- Reduce duplication in Federal Government agencies/programs and wherever possible return the power to our local and state governments.
Source: 2020 New Hampshire Senate website CorkyForSenate.com
Jun 3, 2020
Dan Feltes:
Fundamental right to vote
Dan believes in the fundamental right of New Hampshire citizens to participate in our democracy, including the right to vote.
He would work to ensure all New Hampshire voters have an ability to have their vote heard in the democratic process.
Source: 2020 New Hampshire governor campaign website DanFeltesNH.com
Jan 1, 2014
Don Bolduc:
Overturn Citizens United decision; prevent dark money
[On campaign finance]: "Election reform must begin with a constitutional amendment, overturn the Citizens United decision to prevent dark money, 100% transparency for all campaign spending, limit self-funding, prohibit lobbyists from raising campaign
dollars," Bolduc wrote. He added, "Members of Congress must have a waiting period before being allowed to work as a lobbyist, fund campaigns with small, and donor contributions supplemented with public funds."
Source: WMUR 9-News on 2020 New Hampshire Senate race
May 5, 2020
Jeanne Shaheen:
People's Pledge: Let's limit outside PAC contributions
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen is challenging her potential Senate opponent Scott Brown to agree to limit outside, third-party spending during the campaign. Shaheen sent a letter to Brown asking him to sign the "People's Pledge," an identical document to the one he
agreed to while running against Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) in 2012.Shaheen wrote, "I hope you will join me in once again committing to the same People's Pledge you signed in Massachusetts and limiting the influence of outside groups in NH this year.
The pledge aims to take away the incentive for independent expenditure groups, individuals and Super-PACs from spending in the race to either oppose or support a candidate. If outside ads are run in the state, the pledge would require the candidate
that benefits from the ad to pay 50% of the cost of the ad buy to charity. The pledge would relate to broadcast and online advertising, but not outside spending on direct mail or field work in the state.
Source: The Hill e-zine on 2014 New Hampshire Senate race
Mar 15, 2014
Jeanne Shaheen:
Introduced legislation to put a woman on the $20 bill
The nonprofit Women On 20s has been campaigning to replace Andrew Jackson with a woman on the $20 bill by 2020. Now Shaheen has also introduced legislation with the same goal. "Our paper currency is an important part of our everyday lives and reflects
our values, traditions and history as Americans," Shaheen said in a news release. "It's long overdue for that reflection to include the contributions of women."
Source: Buzzfeed News on 2020 New Hampshire Senate race
Apr 15, 2015
Jim Rubens:
Voluntary small dollar vouchers to fund federal elections
Why Mayday PAC chose Jim Rubens: We are proud to support Jim Rubens in the New Hampshire Republican primary, a businessman and former state senate Republican, who is confronting openly an issue that too many in his party simply ignore: the corrupting
influence of money in politics. Rubens supports a system of voluntary small dollar vouchers to help fund federal elections. His system would radically reduce the influence of special interests in Washington, and help restore a government responsive to
the people.N.H. is a fiercely independent state, with a plurality of voters registered as "undeclared." The state has a strong tradition supporting reform. In 2000, the state chose John McCain as the Republican nominee after he made the "corruption in
Washington" a central issue.
Mayday PAC works with candidates who support reform on both sides of the aisle. Mayday PAC will be communicating directly with voters with specific messages on political cronyism and reform.
Source: PacWatch: MaydayPAC in 2014 New Hampshire Senate race
Aug 11, 2014
Jim Rubens:
Congress is addicted to spending to pay for pork
Washington is addicted to spending and debt to pay for pork and crony capitalist favors for insiders and campaign donors. Both parties in Congress and have spent our nation $19 trillion in debt and $100 trillion in unfunded future spending promises.
Kelly Ayotte broke her promise to be a fiscal conservative. During her term of office, national debt increased by $5 trillion.
She voted in 2014 and 2015 for the fiscally-reckless, pork-stuffed CRomnibus and Omnibus budget bills, loading taxpayers with $1.5 trillion in debt.
These votes are an unpardonable breach of a bedrock Republican and conservative principle.
I will fight for a constitutional balanced budget amendment.
Source: 2016 New Hampshire Senate campaign website JimRubens.com
Apr 1, 2016
John Lynch:
Vetoed Photo ID for Voting
Gov. Lynch vetoed HB 345: This bill requires a voter to present photographic identification or a voter affidavit to obtain a ballot. The bill establishes an exception to the identification requirement for persons personally known to certain election
officials.
- The ballot clerk shall require the person desiring to vote to furnish a state or federal government-issued photo identification to verify the person's identity, or
- the voter shall be permitted to submit an affidavit stating that:
- "I have not been issued an identification card by a state or federal government or I have lost possession of such an identification within the past 14 days."
- If a person desiring to vote states that he or she does not have a sufficient
identification, but such person is personally known to any of the city or town clerks as a person qualified to vote at such location, such person shall not be refused a ballot for lack of identification.
(Bill vetoed by Governor; veto sustained).
Source: New Hampshire state legislature voting records: Bill HB345
Feb 1, 2006
Karen Testerman:
State vaccine mandate was government overreach
[On COVID vaccines]: "We have a governor, at this point, who has stepped on our constitutional rights," she said. Testerman pointed to the arrest of anti-vaccine mandate protesters at an Executive Council meeting, an event she sees as an escalation of
government overreach. "They arrested the New Hampshire 9 in October of last year," she said. "That was a deciding moment for everybody in the state -- that we've now lost our right to free speech, free assembly, freedom of religion."
Source: WMUR on 2022 New Hampshire Gubernatorial race
Jun 7, 2022
Maggie Hassan:
Opposed Photo ID for Voting
Hassan voted NO on HB 345: This bill requires a voter to present photographic identification or a voter affidavit to obtain a ballot. The bill establishes an exception to the identification requirement for persons personally known to certain election
officials.
- The ballot clerk shall require the person desiring to vote to furnish a state or federal government-issued photo identification to verify the person's identity, or
- the voter shall be permitted to submit an affidavit stating that:
- "I have not been issued an identification card by a state or federal government or I have lost possession of such an identification within the past 14 days."
- If a person desiring to vote states that he or she does not have a sufficient
identification, but such person is personally known to any of the city or town clerks as a person qualified to vote at such location, such person shall not be refused a ballot for lack of identification.
(Bill vetoed by Governor; veto sustained).
Source: New Hampshire state legislature voting records: Bill HB345
Apr 13, 2006
Molly Kelly:
End voter suppression; end corporate campaign contributions
Molly Kelly and Steve Marchand equally knock Sununu for signing into law two voter eligibility bills that they describe as "voter suppression" measures. But they disagree on how to reform campaign finance laws."I am the only candidate certainly in
this race, and I suspect in a generation, who believes the only way you're going to get campaign finance reform is through public funding of elections," Marchand's said. And he claimed that when he released his plan this spring, "Molly and her
campaign, she criticized me harder than Chris Sununu."
Kelly's said she doesn't believe Granite Staters should pay for political campaigns and TV ads.
But her campaign's said she would work as governor to end corporate contributions to political campaigns and strengthen campaign finance laws.
Source: Concord Monitor on 2018 New Hampshire Gubernatorial race
Sep 3, 2018
Molly Kelly:
Wants real campaign finance reform; no corporate donations
I'm proud to be the only candidate for governor who has refused to accept corporate contributions. In addition to getting dark money out of our politics, we must also modernize campaign finance laws to make them uniform for all candidates.
I will work to: Close the LLC loophole that allows the same person to give contributions through multiple entities; Clarify the law on funding limits; Bring greater transparency to campaign funding; and end partisan gerrymandering.
Source: 2018 New Hampshire Governor campaign website MollyKelly.com
Oct 9, 2018
Orrin Hatch:
Real campaign finance reform is disclosure & more disclosure
True campaign finance reform is what I'm doing. Today you can get everybody who's donated to me on my web page. That's what should be done. And I think real campaign finance reform is disclosure, disclosure, disclosure. That's what I'm trying to do,
plus low donations. [McCain's plan] would devastate the Republican Party while leaving the Democratic Party completely open for independent expenditure campaigns by the unions who spend a half billion dollars every two years in getting out the vote.
Source: New Hampshire GOP Debates
Dec 3, 1999
Ron Paul:
All spending should be designated by earmarks
RICK PERRY: [to Paul]: What frustrates me is that you go get the earmarks and then you vote against the bill? Now, I don't know what they call that in other places, but in Texas, we call that hypocrisy. PAUL: I call it being a constitutionalist,
because I believe we should earmark, or designate, every penny. You designate weapons systems. You designate money to go to spend $1 billion on an embassy in Iraq. That's an earmark, too. I say the Congress has more responsibility.
Source: WMUR 2012 GOP New Hampshire debate
Jan 7, 2012
Ron Paul:
Preach the gospel of liberty
Q: The presidency is often called the bully pulpit. How would you use the bully pulpit to try to shape American culture? PAUL: I would continue to do what I'm doing now, preaching the gospel of liberty.
I think that the most important ingredients in this country that made us great was our founders understood what liberty meant, and that is what we need. We have deserted that. We have drifted away. It involves our right to our life, right to our liberty.
We ought to be able to keep the fruits of our labor. We ought to understand property rights. We ought to understand contract rights.
We ought to understand what sound money is all about, and we ought to understand what national defense means. That means defending this country. That is the bully pulpit we need. We need to defend liberty.
Source: Meet the Press 2012 GOP New Hampshire debate
Jan 8, 2012
Scott Brown:
No pledge to limit outside PAC contributions
Scott Brown blasted Sen. Jeanne Shaheen's challenge to limit outside spending in the New Hampshire Senate race as "self-serving and hypocritical." Brown said Shaheen and other Democratic outside groups have already been running ads against him for months
Brown made clear he thought the offer was a stunt. "It's hard to view Jeanne Shaheen's actions as anything other than hypocritical and self-serving," he said in a statement. "The people of New Hampshire can see through the Washington-style game she is
playing."
Shaheen on Saturday sent a letter to Brown asking him to sign the "People's Pledge," an identical document to the one he agreed to while running against Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) in 2012. Shaheen says outside Republican-aligned groups have
outspent Democrats in the state by three to one, totaling $1.5 million. The pledge aims to take away the incentive for independent expenditure groups, individuals and Super-PACs from spending in the race to either oppose or support a candidate.
Source: The Hill e-zine on 2014 New Hampshire Senate race
Mar 15, 2014
Steve Marchand:
Public funding of elections
Molly Kelly and Steve Marchand equally knock Sununu for signing into law two voter eligibility bills that they describe as "voter suppression" measures. But they disagree on how to reform campaign finance laws."I am the only candidate certainly in
this race, and I suspect in a generation, who believes the only way you're going to get campaign finance reform is through public funding of elections," Marchand's said. And he claimed that when he released his plan this spring, "Molly and her
campaign, she criticized me harder than Chris Sununu."
Kelly's said she doesn't believe Granite Staters should pay for political campaigns and TV ads.
But her campaign's said she would work as governor to end corporate contributions to political campaigns and strengthen campaign finance laws.
Source: Concord Monitor on 2018 New Hampshire Gubernatorial race
Sep 3, 2018
Tom Sherman:
Worked on making elections safe during pandemic
Dr. Sherman also served on the Select Committee on 2020 Emergency Election Support to make recommendations on how to best allocate NH's $3.2 million CARES Act funding to ensure the safety of our elections during the pandemic.
The Committee made unanimous, bi-partisan recommendations to the Secretary of State. Dr. Sherman negotiated and sponsored the amendment to HB 1266, signed into law by Governor Sununu.
Source: 2022 New Hampshire Governor campaign web DrTomSherman.com
Mar 28, 2022
Tom Sherman:
Voted YES on "no excuse" absentee voting bill
Gov. Sununu vetoed the so-called "no excuse" absentee voting bill, warning it would erode the state's vaunted political tradition of in-person participation at the polls. Advocates of the bill had wanted New Hampshire to join 28 other states, which
allow voters to obtain an absentee ballot without having to give a reason for why they can't make it to the polls.Legislative Outcome: Senate voted 171-11-0 on May 30; Sherman voted YEA; House voted 222-157-18 on Sept 18 veto override
Source: New Hampshire State Legislature voting records HB611
May 30, 2019
Page last updated: Feb 18, 2023