Thank you to all my friends, colleagues and constituents who asked me to consider running for governor in 2018. I am humbled by your encouragement and your confidence in me. After careful consideration and many conversations over the past few months, I have decided not to run for governor in 2018 because the time is not right for me or my family. I will, however, proudly seek another term as a New Hampshire executive councilor representing District 2.
As an executive councilor, I will continue to carefully prepare, learn and grow. I believe I have accomplished a great deal in only nine months. However, I know I still have much to learn about the workings of our complex state government. At the end of the day, I know my decisions affect peoples’ lives and I take this responsibility very seriously.
As the highest elected Democrat in state office, along with my colleague Chris Pappas, I also intend to continue to speak publicly about important issues – including jobs, education and health care. We need strong leadership as we build social capital for these causes. I hope to continue to “connect the dots.” It is important for voters to know, for example, that our state’s recent $100 million business tax cut goes to favor the most wealthy corporations and is paid for with money that could have funded full-day kindergarten, or fully funded drug prevention and treatment programs, or been used to create jobs and encourage economic development by fully maintaining New Hampshire’s roads and bridges. It is also my responsibility to talk with my constituents about the failing system of local property taxes because, sadly, 20 years after the key Claremont school funding court decision, the quality of education in New Hampshire remains dependent upon where a child lives.
As an executive councilor, I also take my role as an honest broker seriously. I will continue to oppose the governor when that is appropriate, but I will support him when we can agree. When the governor nominates unqualified people to run our state agencies, I will challenge them as I did with the nominee for education commissioner. Careful research and tough questions helped me inform the public about the nominee’s lack of qualifications. In contrast, I was able to join with the governor to find common ground in support of the nomination of a highly decorated and qualified nominee David Mikolaities to become New Hampshire’s adjutant general.
In short, I am not going anywhere. I’ll spend the next year working with and supporting progressive candidates for office, so we may move from resistance to progress in 2018.
In running for re-election, voters can be sure that I’ll continue working with and for them, and for a better, more just New Hampshire. I wish my friends and colleagues, including the governor, a good campaign season with vigorous debates and no calamities. The best to you all; maybe I’ll see you sometime in the future.
(Andru Volinsky is executive councilor for District 2. He lives in Concord.)