By Virginia Drye
EAGLE TIMES CORRESPONDENT
CLAREMONT, N.H. — Reaction from local officials in Sullivan County to the news that New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu won’t be running for a fifth term was mixed recently.
On Wednesday, Sununu said that public service shouldn’t be a career and that the decision was not taken lightly.
Speaking to the press following Sununu’s announcement, Executive Councilor Cinde Warmington (D-Concord), a declared candidate for governor, was asked what aspects of Sununu’s legacy she would like to continue.
“During the pandemic, I thought he communicated with the voters and people of New Hampshire really well,” she said. “That is something I admired and want to continue.”
State Representative Brian Sullivan (D-Grantham) said he was excited to see the opportunity to elect a new governor.
“It was time for somebody else to have a shot at it… You know four years is enough… It would be good to have someone else in the corner office to give a different perspective,” said Sullivan, who has endorsed Warmington in her primary battle against Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig, said.
Representative Margaret Drye (R-Plainfield) said that, given that most governors in other states serve four-year terms, a fifth two-year term didn’t seem like much of a stretch.
“I thank Gov. Sununu for all he has done for New Hampshire and wish him well,” she said.
Representative Jon Stone (R- Claremont) told the Eagle Times that he is very disappointed in the decision.
“Very, so very, disappointing because everything is kind of level and now we’re gonna be just a political nightmare,” Stone said. “In general, for the next six or 18 months working with him, I am still excited even though he’s not running again. You know… I don’t think overall he’s 100 percent perfect with anybody’s beliefs but tries to balance out the needs of everybody in the state.”
District 8 State Senator Ruth Ward (R-Stoddard) said: “he has been a pretty good governor; he’s worked well with both the Republicans and the Democrats, and that’s the reason we have gotten some things done is because he has been able to work bilaterally with both parties for the best for New Hampshire and has been very supportive of education. It’s too bad that he’s not running again.”
Claremont Mayor Dale Girard, a Democrat, said that Sununu had been very good to Claremont.
“He has done a wonderful job with the state and I’m kind of sad to see him not running again. But, in the same sense, I think it’s best for him and his family to get an opportunity to enjoy life at this point, too, after giving a good solid eight years of his life,” Girard said.
Representative John Cloutier (D-Claremont) was concerned that whoever follows Sununu remember Sullivan County.
“I think whoever is the next governor ought to pay attention to areas like Sullivan County and we don’t get lost in the shuffle … we need a governor who’s going to listen and hopefully help us deal with our problems as much as he can or she can.”
Cloutier’s sentiments were shared by all of the elected officials interviewed.
As your daily newspaper, we are committed to providing you with important local news coverage for Sullivan County and the surrounding areas.