After a painfully successful 2016 that saw them hold both houses of the legislature and pick up the governorship, Republicans now run the show in New Hampshire. And predictably, they immediately proceeded to push the same policies Republicans do everywhere as soon as they take control of a state's government: defund Planned Parenthood, restrict voting rights, and attack labor unions and working families.
But Democrats will soon have a chance to unlock the GOP's stranglehold on this volatile swing state, and it starts with the state Senate. At only 24 seats, it's among the smallest legislative chambers in the country, so just one race can have a major impact, especially in a body as closely divided as this one.
The New Hampshire Senate had a 14-to-10 Republican majority until recently; it's now 14-to-nine following Democratic Sen. Scott McGilvray's untimely death earlier this year. That means there will be a special election to fill his seat—the 16th District, which includes Dunbarton, Bow, Hooksett, Candia, and parts of Manchester—and it's coming up soon, on July 25.
This seat is a key hold for Democrats, and keeping it won't be easy. Last fall, this district was Democrats' only red-to-blue flip in this chamber, with McGilvray defeating his GOP opponent by a narrow 51-49 margin. At the top of the ballot, the spread was even closer: Clinton eked out a 47.7-47.4 win. But this is exactly the kind of district Democrats need to retain in order to have a chance of flipping the state Senate in 2018, a realistic goal that's crucial to breaking the GOP's grasp on the state government "trifecta.”
Manchester Alderman Kevin Cavanaugh won the primary earlier this month, and Daily Kos is pleased to give him our endorsement in this key contest. Cavanaugh is a product of local public schools, has been a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers for 32 years, and also coaches Little League.
He faces former Republican state Sen. David Boutin, who will draw on his established networks and resources as he tries to recapture the seat he won in the 2010 GOP wave and held until his retirement just half a year ago. Should Boutin return to the Senate, we can expect him to continue to undercut key progressive values, including education: He voted to cut university funding by 45 percent in 2011 and has supported funneling taxpayer money into private and religious schools.
Cavanaugh is running on his decades of fighting for working families and supports increasing access to the ballot box, expanding educational opportunities for students from kindergarten through college, securing equal rights for all LGBT Granite Staters, and combating New Hampshire's acute opioid crisis. Former state senators and current U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen have jumped into this race with their support, further underscoring the importance of this summer contest.
If Cavanaugh wins next month, then Democrats will only need two more victories next year to force a tie in the Senate, and three to take control outright. And if an anti-Trump wave continues to take shape, bigger gains are on the table: New Hampshire's governorship is up for election every two years, and the giant 400-member state House is prone to massive swings. From there, a whole universe of new progressive policies become possible.
But we have to put ourselves in position to take advantage of such a wave, and that starts with a victory on July 25.
Please donate $3 to Kevin Cavanaugh today to help turn New Hampshire blue.
