As this is a non-election year, things are a bit quieter, but we are working on plans for 2024 and encourage you to contact your local town chair to find out what is happening locally.

A couple things for your calendar:

Sunday, June 11 – Lebanon Dems will host a fundraiser with speaker Cinde Warmington, our Executive Councilor. The event will be from 4-5:30 at the home of Laurie Harding and Peter Mason. Check with the Lebanon Dems for more information.

Thursday, July 4th – Hanover parade – plan to join us on Hovey Lane (next to St. Dennis Church and Hanover High School parking lot) and march with other Democrats “all the way” up to the Dartmouth Green. Signs are welcome as are children, and we will have candy to toss to spectators.

Please join us July 25, 2022 for our monthly Zoom program at 6pm.  This month we are hosting a moderated candidate forum with Executive Council District 2 Primary Candidates. Email uvdems@gmail.com for the Zoom link.

The New Hampshire Executive Council is the only one of its kind in the United States. The five Executive Councilors act as an important check and balance on our Governor. In fact, their responsibilities are so significant that they are basically in a co-governing position with the Governor. Any state contract over $10,000 must be approved by the Executive Council, as well as all gubernatorial appointments to state boards, agencies, and committees.

This means that because the Republicans have the majority on the Executive Council, they recently rejected the contracts for family planning clinics in New Hampshire. Some of you may have heard that the Planned Parenthood in Claremont recently closed its doors – at least partially related to losing this contract. Earlier this year, the GOP-majority Executive Council also delayed acceptance of the $27 million in federal funding for vaccine distribution. It took longer for vaccine boosters to get to people in New Hampshire because anti-science Republicans sit in 4 of the 5 executive council seats. You may also recall that the Republican-led Executive Council approved Governor Sununu’s appointment of Frank Edelblut as Commissioner of Education – a person who is clearly anti-public education and has taken deliberate action over the past two years to undermine and attack our public schools.

The Upper Valley Democrats communities were formerly in Executive Council District 1 – which was held for many decades by Ray Burton, a moderate Republican – and which included the entire northern part of New Hampshire. After Ray Burton, the seat has been held by Joe Kenney – a Republican (not a moderate) – with the exception of one term when we were represented by former Grafton County Commissioner Mike Cryans, a Democrat. Executive Council District 2 was gerrymandered 10 years ago to be the most Democratic Executive Council District and is currently represented by Executive Councilor Cinde Warmington, the only Democrat on the Executive Council. In the most recent round of redistricting, the Upper Valley has been added to Executive Council District 2. Here is the new map:

The three candidates for the Executive Council District 2 Democratic Primary on September 13 are Michael Cryans (Hanover), Bradford Todd (Keene), and incumbent Cinde Warmington (Concord).

The Executive Council plays a very important – though not well-known – role in our state government. And that means it is important for us to learn more about the Executive Council and the people running to represent us in Concord. The State Primary to decide who moves on to the November ballot takes place September 13.