Campaign Roundup: Office opening, Girard endorsements, GOP outreach

Sign Up For Our FREE Daily eNews!

It’s June 13, 2021. Here’s what’s been going on this week on the local elections campaign trail in Manchester.

image 50397953
Mayor Joyce Craig’s re-election campaign office opening. Submitted photo

Joyce Craig opens re-election office

On Thursday, incumbent Mayor Joyce Craig opened her campaign office at 264 Mammoth Road, a site that has been used in the recent past by the New Hampshire Democratic Party and 2020 Presidential Candidate Michael Bloomberg.

It also served as Craig’s campaign office in 2019.

Approximately 125 people attended the opening, which included a speech by Craig.

“I am standing here as Mayor of Manchester because of all of you, and the work you have put into our past campaigns and because of the needs of our community,” said Craig.

Craig also talked about the importance of elections for the Board of Mayor and Aldermen and the Board of School Committee (BOSC), with Aldermen such as Kevin Cavanaugh (Ward 1) also speaking on Craig’s behalf.

“You never leave a meeting not knowing where Mayor Craig stands,” said Cavanaugh, who is also a state senator. “She is a fighter and a champion for Manchester. To keep our city moving forward, we need to re-elect Joyce as Mayor of Manchester.”

Girard gets endorsements

On Monday, former At-Large Alderman and BOSC member Rich Girard received an endorsement from former U.S. Senator Bob Smith.

Smith served in the U.S. Senate representing New Hampshire from 1990 to 2003 and represented New Hampshire’s First Congressional District from 1985 until 1990.

“Rich Girard’s thirty years of experience with Manchester politics is something both Manchester residents and conservatives everywhere can trust.   His tremendous knowledge of the city’s government and familiarity with its issues is exactly what Manchester needs today.  He has proven himself not just unafraid to stand for conservative principles but also to effectively fight for them in the face of the radical left’s relentless attacks,” said Smith.  “It breaks my heart to see what’s happening in the Queen City but I know that Rich is totally prepared to take charge on his first day as mayor and I have hope that with his leadership what is so obviously broken will be fixed.”

Later in the week, Girard also received an endorsement from former State Senator Jim Rubens. Rubens served in the New Hampshire Senate from 1994 to 1998.

Rubens called Girard diligent, intelligent, articulate and measured over the 20 years he’s known him.

“Jim is, and always has been, a man of ideas who is unafraid to discuss the issues and find solutions.  I’d like to think we have that in common,” said Girard.  “I’m pleased and honored to have won his support in this campaign.”

Republican consolidation

Although Manchester’s municipal elections are officially non-partisan, in reality they are especially partisan and that took front stage this week.

Following Girard’s endorsement from Rubens, Girard sent an e-mail to supporters stating that two endorsements from different parts of the Republican Party was clear proof that he can obtain support from different parts of the ideological spectrum that makes up today’s GOP.

Former State Representative Victoria Sullivan also explicitly referenced her party affiliation in an e-mail to supporters this week, joining Girard in attacking Craig.

“Having a Republican mayor representing the state’s largest city isn’t only important for the Queen City and its people, but for our entire region and its economy,” said Sullivan.Joyce Craig is going to have a mountain of money behind her and I have to compete to get my message out far-and-wide across the city. The current mayor is backed by some of most major national liberal Democrats and organizations. She has to seek this support far outside the city because of her dismal record. Mayor Craig knows as well as I do that this race is a defining one here in New Hampshire as we head towards 2022.”

About this Author

Andrew Sylvia

Assistant EditorManchester Ink Link

Born and raised in the Granite State, Andrew Sylvia has written approximately 10,000 pieces over his career for outlets across Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont. On top of that, he's a licensed notary and licensed to sell property, casualty and life insurance, he's been a USSF trained youth soccer and futsal referee for the past six years and he can name over 60 national flags in under 60 seconds according to that flag game app he has on his phone, which makes sense because he also has a bachelor's degree in geography (like Michael Jordan). He can also type over 100 words a minute on a good day.