Candidate Center
Candidate Center
Our new candidate center is designed to help keep you up-to-date with the campaigns going on across the country. Click on your state of interest and you’ll find a list of candidates running for each federal office, a brief overview of the state, and specific information for campaigns of interest as it becomes available. In the near future, the candidate center will include polls that will be updated as new ones are released, and links to FEC data.
New Hampshire
Presidential primary: Tuesday, January 22, 2008 (will move earlier)
Congressional filing deadline: June 2008
Congressional primary: September 2008
New Hampshire will be an important state for Democrats in 2008. Winning this state is crucial to Democratic presidential election aspirations, and it offers a pickup opportunity in the Senate. In 2006, Democrats captured both House seats in this state, but both seats will face legitimate challenges in 2008. Holding on to these seats will be key to maintaining our House majority.
President (4 Electoral Votes)
New Hampshire notoriously receives a lot of attention during the primary season, but this state can go either way in the general election. The state is positioned in the heart of the Democratic base on the eastern seaboard, but it voted for George W. Bush in 2000. Had Al Gore carried this state and its four electoral votes, he would have won the presidency with or without Florida. The state returned to the Democrats in 2004, as John Kerry won by less than 2 percent. Since 1960, New Hampshire has voted for the eventual winner in the presidency in all but two elections, 1960 and 2004, so it remains a strong indicator of how the election will turn out. No matter who the candidates are in 2008, the race in this state is sure to be close, and it will be viewed as essential to Democratic election strategy.
U.S. Senate - John Sununu (Rep)
Democrats jumped into the role of the favorite when popular former Governor Jeanne Shaheen entered the race to challenge Senator John Sununu. Shaheen is the candidate the Democrats have wanted all along, and her candidacy represents a major success for the DSCC. Early polls suggest that Shaheen is already ahead of the incumbent; a poll released in July gave Shaheen a double-digit lead over Sununu in a general election match-up. Democrats chances to expand their majority in the senate are substantially increased by Shaheen's candidacy.
However, despite these early polls, this race will be close. Following some controversy involving Shaheen's husband polls from December gave Sununu the lead. However, as fervor over that controversy has passed, Shaheen has regained a substantial lead. The Granite State poll released on February 11, gave Shaheen a 17-point advantage. (54%-37%) Another poll released on March 17 showed that Shaheen continues to hold the double-digit lead.
NCEC believes that this race is one of the best opportunities for a Democratic pickup in the Senate.
John Sununu (Rep) - IncumbentJay Buckey (Dem) - Medical School Professor, Physician and Former Astronaut
Steve Marchand (Dem) - Portsmouth Mayor and Public Affairs Consultant
Jeanne Shaheen (Dem) - Former Governor, Former State Senate, Former Teacher and 2002 Nominee
Katrina Swett (Dem) - Democratic Activist and 2002 Congressional Nominee
Ken Blevens (Libertarian) - frequent candidate
Shawn Paul Girard (Ind)
New Hampshire Governor - John Lynch (Dem)
John Lynch (Dem) - Incumbent
Kelly Ayotte (Rep) - Attorney General
Frank Guinta (Rep) - Manchester Mayor and Former State Representative
Joe Kenney (Rep) - State Senator, Former State Representative and Iraq War Veteran
Bruce Keough (Rep) - Former State Senate and 2002 Candidate
Bea Francoeur (Libertarian) - State Representative, Former Republican and Real Estate Manager
1st District - Carol Shea-Porter (Dem)
East, Manchester
Freshman Representative Carol Shea-Porter defeated incumbent Jeb Bradley in 2006 by 4 percent. Bradley has already begun campaigning for an eventual rematch in 2008. A July 9-17 CNN/WMUR/University of New Hampshire Granite State Poll shows that Shea-Porter is a vulnerable candidate. According to the poll, her favorability and job performance ratings are below the 50 percent threshold. However, the same poll showed that Bradley's favorability ratings are nearly the same as Shea-Porter's. The power of incumbency can't be overlooked in this situation, which will benefit Shea-Porter. Bradley may also face a challenger in the GOP primary, as 2002 candidate John Stephen has formed an exploratory committee and may challenge for the nomination.
Carol Shea-Porter (Dem) - Incumbent
Jeb Bradley (Rep) - Former Congressman and Former State Representative
John Stephen (Rep) - State HHS Commissioner, Former Assistant Attorney General and 2002 Candidate
Bob Kingsbury (Libertarian) - Businessman, World War II Veteran and frequent candidate
2nd District - Paul Hodes (Dem)
West, Concord, Nashua
Freshman Representative Paul Hodes faces a situation similar to that of Carol Shea-Porter. The July 9–17 CNN/WMUR/University of New Hampshire Granite State Poll shows his favorability and job performance ratings to be slightly under 50 percent, which is always a warning sign. In January, radio talk show host and Telegraph columnist Jennifer Horn entered the race for the GOP. She joins attorney and army veteran Jim Steiner in a battle for the Republican nomination. According to Hodes' last filing he now has over 550K cash in hand for his campaign.
Paul Hodes (Dem) - Incumbent
Bob Clegg (Rep) - State Senator and Former State Representative
Stephen Gray (Rep) - Venture Capitalist and Son of Former FBI Director L. Patrick Gray
Bruce Keough (Rep) - Former State Senate and 2002 Governor Candidate
Chuck Morse (Rep) - Former State Senate and 2006 Executive Council Nominee
Chet Lapointe (Libertarian) - Former State Representative, Store Manager and Gun Rights Activist
