AOL News has a new home! The Huffington Post.

Click here to visit the new home of Politics Daily!

Hot on HuffPost:

See More Stories

MAIL

Politics Daily

Obama: Allies Will Soon Take Control of Libyan Campaign
- Politics Daily Staff
Democrats Could Lose Senate, Biden Warns Party
- Politics Daily Staff
South Dakota Governor Signs Tough Abortion Bill Into Law
- Politics Daily Staff
Obama Getting Heat From Left and Right for U.S. Role in Libyan Attacks
- Politics Daily Staff
Allied Airstrikes Buoy Libyan Rebels; Obama Stresses Limited Military Goal
- Politics Daily Staff
Opposition Rises to Increased Nuclear Power Use; Offshore Drilling Support Rebounds
- Bruce Drake
French Warplanes Enforcing Ceasefire in Libya After Gadhafi Keeps Up Attacks
- Politics Daily Staff
Economic Issues Underpin Obama's Trip to Brazil, Chile, El Salvador
- Politics Daily Staff
Obama to Gadhafi: Stop the Attacks or Face Military Action
- Politics Daily Staff
House to Consider Bill to Defund National Public Radio
- Politics Daily Staff
New Fire Breaks Out at Damaged Japanese Nuclear Plant
- Carla Baranauckas
Japanese Nuclear Power Plant Rocked by Second Explosion in Quake's Aftermath
- Carla Baranauckas and Bruce Drake

Mitt Romney Keeps Busy in New Hampshire for Possible White House Run

2 years ago

0 Comments Say Something »

Text Size

Contributor

MANCHESTER, N.H. -- Mitt Romney may not have formally declared his 2012 presidential candidacy but there's little doubt he's running as evidenced by his frequent visits and political activity in New Hampshire.

And while they wait for another Romney bid, some of his top campaign hands are staying active in races like Tuesday's GOP Senate primary won by Kelly Ayotte, a former state attorney general and establishment Republican candidate. She defeated Ovide Lamontagne, a prominent lawyer and longtime fixture in New Hampshire politics, by a slim 1,600 or so votes.

Several key aides of Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, were involved in Lamontagne's campaign. Among them was Romney's New Hampshire campaign manager Jim Merrill, who served as a senior adviser to Lamontagne.

Romney stayed neutral in the race and pledged to support the victor.

In 2008, Lamontagne endorsed Romney in the New Hampshire presidential primary but he says he's not ready to say who he will back in two years since there are no declared candidates at this point.

Romney, who remains popular in New Hampshire and has a home here, came in second in the 2008 New Hampshire primary, a little more than five points behind John McCain and 20 points ahead of third place finisher Mike Huckabee.

Romney is keeping his ties to the Granite State strong. On Thursday, he endorsed 33 GOP candidates running in New Hampshire and announced a donation by his political action committee of $40,000 to their campaigns. Among the beneficiaries are John Stephen, who is running for governor; Ayotte; former congressman Charlie Bass, who is running again in the 2^nd Congressional District; former Manchester Mayor Frank Guinta, who is running for the 1^st Congressional seat, as well as dozens of candidates for the state senate.

That's on top of $30,000 Romney has already given the state Republican Party and $6,500 previously given to state and local candidates.

Romney will be the keynote speaker at the state's party convention on Sept. 25 and was in the state last Saturday appearing at a Republican political event.

Romney and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty are the only two potential 2012 candidates who have registered New Hampshire PACs. Newt Gingrich was in New Hampshire in June for a fundraiser and candidate training seminar.

Sarah Palin has not visited New Hampshire since the fall of 2008 during the presidential campaign.

Speaking at the Seacoast Republican Women's Chili Fest fundraiser last Saturday, Romney predicted big midterm losses for the Democrats because "people recognize our values are under assault." He said the Democrats are trying to "smother those quintessential American values," which have defined the nation.

"Almost everything they (the Democrats) have done has had the exact opposite effect of what they had hoped. President Obama's agenda has failed and that's why he'll be rejected in November," Romney predicted.

As for the influence of the Tea Party in New Hampshire, it has been somewhat muted. The state's GOP primary winners were all establishment politicians and there is no apparent rift within the party. Republicans held a traditional unity breakfast in Manchester Thursday morning at which all of the major GOP candidates -- both winners and losers -- appeared.

Ayotte called Congressman Paul Hodes, the Democratic candidate for Senate, a "Nancy Pelosi puppet" who has voted with the Democratic leadership 90 percent of the time. Hodes points out that he voted against the Wall Street bailout, though he did support the stimulus and health care reform -- both of which are Republicans targets.

In a state whose license plate reads "Live Free or Die", a small government, anti-tax message is part of the state's DNA. However, New Hampshire Republicans tend to be more socially moderate than most of their counterparts around the country.

A recent Public Policy Polling survey showed Ayotte with a narrow lead over Hodes.

Filed Under: 2012 President, 2010 Elections

Tagged: 2012 presidential election, endorsements, Mitt Romney, new hampshire

Our New Approach to Comments

In an effort to encourage the same level of civil dialogue among Politics Daily’s readers that we expect of our writers – a “civilogue,” to use the term coined by PD’s Jeffrey Weiss – we are requiring commenters to use their AOL or AIM screen names to submit a comment, and we are reading all comments before publishing them. Personal attacks (on writers, other readers, Nancy Pelosi, George W. Bush, or anyone at all) and comments that are not productive additions to the conversation will not be published, period, to make room for a discussion among those with ideas to kick around. Please read our Help and Feedback section for more info.

Add a Comment

Sign in »

Comments

Filter by:

pagestarts

I have just never been all that impressed or excited listening to Romney. He sounds like more of the same old ideas. Aren't there any viable candidates who have new and exciting ideas, only this time backed up by a solid record of accomplishments. Our nation does need hope and change, only the real kind, not just the endless pretty speech kind.

September 20 2010 at 9:50 AM Report abuse Permalink -1 rate up rate down Reply

sysaphus71

I think as someone had said before ,...the dream ticket for 2012 would be Romney/Christie ticket.....can't you just see Richard Trumpka and Andy Sterns heading for the exits at full speed. HECK THE STOCK MARKET WOULD GO UP 500 POINTS IF THEY JUST ANNOUNCED THEY WERE GONNA RUN TOGETHER. Talk about happy days.....

September 18 2010 at 7:14 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

1 reply to sysaphus71's comment

mrrmckmrs

Love, love, LOVE Christie. He is my new hero! I will definitely vote for Romney if he is the GOP candidate, but the whole MA care thing he did in the past still bugs me.

September 19 2010 at 9:28 PM Report abuse Permalink +2 rate up rate down Reply