Gov. John Lynch is standing by Ray Buckley in the race for Democratic Party chairman, despite the release of an old video in which a much younger Buckley makes lewd comments and gestures.

"The governor's position has not changed," Lynch spokesman Colin Manning said yesterday. "He supports Ray."

Lynch stands alone for now among the state's top three elected Democrats. On Friday, U.S. Rep. Paul Hodes withdrew his support for Buckley, saying in a statement that he'd reviewed the video, which was posted last week on YouTube.com by Buckley's political enemies, and "found it highly disturbing." In a statement yesterday, U.S. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter said that she had talked with Buckley but would not disclose the contents of their conversation.

But Lynch's stance isn't lonely among party leadership or rank-and-file members of the Democratic State Committee, dozens of phone calls to Democrats throughout the state found. While some worried that the scandal would damage the party, most of those contacted yesterday - from state Sen. Sylvia Larsen of Concord to Grafton County at-large delegate Katherine Terrie - said they would support Buckley. The nearly 200 committee members will meet Saturday to elect a new chairman.

"I was on the phone yesterday and on the phone today, and things look very good," Buckley said yesterday. Buckley, 47, said he doesn't even remember the episodes on the video, which he said mostly took place when he was in his 20s. A longtime Democratic activist and current party vice chairman, Buckley is widely credited with helping the party sweep the November elections.

Paul Robitaille, chairman of the Coos County Democrats, said he's torn but leaning toward voting for Buckley on Saturday. He said he's known Buckley for 20 years and isn't worried about his character or ability. And, he said, "unlike a lot of the people from down south, Ray Buckley knows where Coos County is."

He doesn't trust the video's source, he said, adding something reiterated by Democrats across the state: Everyone does foolish things when they are young, and no one would want those things on tape.

"On the other hand, I need a party chair who's gong to be able to bring us together again and keep us in power," Robitaille said. "The thing that concerns me is: How long is this going to go on?"

Stranger by the day

The video is the latest episode in a political scandal that grows stranger by the day.

The footage came from Republican state Rep. Steve Vaillancourt, an estranged friend and former housemate of Buckley who earlier this winter publicly accused him of possessing child pornography. Buckley, who'd been all but anointed the next Democratic party chairman, dropped out of the race amid word that the Manchester police were investigating.

Then this month, Attorney General Kelly Ayotte called Vaillancourt's allegations "unsubstantiated and unfounded" and said she had "seriously considered" bringing charges against him for filing a false report.

A week later, Buckley re-entered the race for chairman. Former state representative Jim Craig, the party establishment favorite in Buckley's absence, promptly said he would drop out of the race.

Lynch, who had distanced himself from Buckley after Vaillancourt first made his allegations, publicly welcomed Buckley at a party fundraiser, saying, "Ray, it's good to have you back."

But Vaillancourt, who denounced the results of Ayotte's investigation, vowed to pursue Buckley on his own.

Single page