Within hours of the announcement by House Speaker Shawn Jasper that he would seek the post of Commissioner of Agriculture, a broad field of candidates put their names forward to potentially succeed him.
Following party rifts that saw a faction of Republicans derail the House’s budget proposal last session, the Monitor asked candidates seeking the post what changes they’d bring to the role and how they’d work to unite the caucus.
Tenure: Serving his 18th term in the House.
Legislative roles: Deputy House Majority Leader; previously House Speaker (2001-04) and House Majority Leader (1999-2000).
Background: The only candidate who’s already served as Speaker, Chandler, a political moderate, is Jasper’s hand-picked choice as a successor. Chandler says if elected he’ll only keep the post through November 2018 – the traditional Speaker’s election – arguing he’s the only person running with the experience to lead a smooth transition midway through the legislative term.
To quote: “There’s no question that there’s a certain segment of the Republican party that is not exactly like it used to be. They’re very – I guess I would say not too prone to compromise in what they believe. And that’s fine. I respect that. But I’m kind of the guy that says ‘Look, half a loaf is better than nothing’ type person. That position is not always equally shared with other members.”
Tenure: Serving her fourth term in the House.
Legislative roles: Member of the Commerce and Consumer Affairs committee.
Background: For Rep. Sanborn, who narrowly lost a bid to unseat Jasper last November, running for the post is familiar territory – and one that could have significant support. Sanborn did not respond to a request for an interview, but in a press release criticized the failure during Jasper’s tenure to pass either a House budget or right-to-work reform. She added that she has no plans to replace committee chairs halfway through the present term.
To quote: From press release: “It is time we have strong conservative leadership in the Speaker’s well once again. I have watched as divisiveness and backroom deals have ruled the day and I aim to put an end to the political games playing out in Concord … I pledge that should I win the race for Speaker I will work with all members to achieve results that are best for the people we serve.”
Tenure: Serving his fourth term in the House.
Legislative roles: Member of the Criminal Justice and Public Safety committee.
Background: A staunch conservative, Burt most recently helped pass a concealed carry gun rights law this year. But he also has a bipartisan calling card: Hot Dog Day, a six-year charity event on the State House lawn that he’s hosted on every last day of the legislative calendar. As Speaker, Burt says he would look to find middle grounds legislators in the conservative House Freedom Caucus and ensure they receive equal treatment and speaking time on the floor, which he says Jasper did not always do.
To quote: “Gene (Chandler) is a great guy, you know I really get along good with him, but they’re saying he’s handpicked from Shawn … The current speaker, Jasper, wants Chandler to move in so nothing moves, nothing changes. And I think the governor would like to have something change.”
Tenure: Serving his sixth term in the House.
Legislative roles: Vice Chairman of the State-Federal Relations and Veterans Affairs committee.
Background: Baldasaro is no stranger to attention-grabbing, having taken an outspoken role in supporting then-candidate Donald Trump in the New Hampshire primary. And though he’s running on the condition that Deputy Speaker Chandler is not immediately confirmed as Jasper’s default success, the candidate field makes that event likely. If elected, Baldasaro said he would reinstate a practice under former speaker Bill O’Brien to convene a conservative group to analyze whether proposed bills pass Constitutional muster before allowing them to proceed. Any bills that included tax increases, he said, would be automatically eliminated.
To quote: “I’m the only one besides Gene that’s been a chairman of a committee, vice chair and a chairman of the House Republican Alliance. The reason I’m stepping up is because experience counts. Knowing and understanding the process.”
Tenure: Serving his second term in the House.
Legislative roles: Member of the Resources, Recreation and Development committee.
Background: New to the House but steeped in experience with New Hampshire presidential campaigns, McConnell is a fiscal conservative with a penchant for blunt speechmaking. A prominent member of the House Freedom Caucus during budget negotiations earlier this year, McConnell introduced a demand that the budget not exceed a 3 percent increase. As Speaker, he would push to reduce the number of bills per session, and limit the role of the House Finance Committee to crafting the budget, arguing it’s become over-extended.
To quote: “If you find someone who can’t lead a noodle through a soup, then it’s going to be a problem. I think that everyone has the measure of me, I think they all know that I will be able to make the place function, I will be even-handed with respect to the things I have to make ruling upon.”
Tenure: Serving his seventh term in the House.
Legislative roles: House Democratic (minority) Leader; previously House Majority Leader (2012-14).
Background: Shurtleff, who stepped down from his candidacy in 2014 to allow Democrats to join with Republicans in electing Jasper, says he knows that his candidacy would be a long-shot in a chamber Republicans presently dominate by 50 seats. He says he’s running in order to speak on behalf House Democrats, but that if he wins, he will adopt a thoroughly neutral role in policy-making, akin to the Speaker of the House of Commons in the United Kingdom.
To quote: “In 2008, I was the chair of the House Criminal Justice Committee, and I was proud of the way that committee operated in a bipartisan manner. And I would bring that to the House. Being a minority Speaker might be good for the House in some respects.”
(Ethan DeWitt can be reached at edewitt@cmonitor. com, or on Twitter at @edewittNH.)