MANCHESTER, NH – First Lady Jill Biden spoke at Teamsters Local 633 on Goffstown Road Saturday afternoon in support of incumbent Senator Maggie Hassan (D) in the November 8th mid-term election against Don Bolduc (R).
Approximately 275 people were on hand, most of them pumped-up canvassers for Sen. Hassan as they prepare to ramp up the visibility of her campaign.
FLOTUS prefaced her remarks by asking people to keep Paul and Nancy Pelosi in their prayers.
Dr. Biden drew on the example to Hassan’s canvassers of a busy mom with a long to-do list who will need encouragement to add voting to her list on November 8th. “This election is going to be won or lost by where voting falls on her to-do list,” FLOTUS said. “We know that every election is important, but we know that with mid-terms it could come down to a handful of votes.”
The First Lady extolled the virtues of Sen. Hassan while making it clear that this Senate election pits candidates who couldn’t be more different. “What you do on Nov. 8th won’t just affect the course of the future of New Hampshire,” Biden said. “You’ll help decide the future of our country as well.”
“Maggie has collaborated, as she’s said, with people on both sides of the aisle to end surprise medical billing and help establish Manchester as a leader in the global biotech industry,“ Dr. Biden said. “When it comes to the opioid crisis, and I heard this again and again when I traveled throughout your state, she has fought tirelessly for addiction treatment and recovery services.”
“New Hampshire is so beautiful this time of year,” Biden continued. “You probably take it for granted but it’s so nice to be back.” As I’ve said, I’m a teacher, a Mom and a Nana and I love to-do lists. I actually run my life by to-do lists and I know the teachers in here do.”
FLOTUS concluded her six-minute endorsement with another reminder of how every vote counts.
“This is an enormous race,” she said, “but it comes down to that mom or student or grocery store worker putting the word ‘Vote’ in big bold letters at the top of your to-do list. These actions add up like drops in a tidal wave and suddenly we see what can be done. One vote can decide a precinct. One precinct can decide a district. One district can decide who wins a state. It starts with all of you. It starts with all of us digging a little deeper and believing that you, we, will win and Maggie Hassan will remain senator!”
Sen. Hassan preceded Biden and while filling out the details of the credentials FLOTUS would shortly allude to, she also pulled no punches in sizing up the platform of her opponent.
“We have a lot of work to do,” Hassan said. “The stakes in this election couldn’t be higher. To say that my opponent Don Bolduc takes a different approach (audience laughter) is the understatement of the century. Don Bolduc is the most extreme candidate for the Senate that New Hampshire has seen in modern history. He would eliminate Social Security. He’s been stoking the big lie that the 2020 election was somehow stolen, then he is now casting doubt on this coming 2022 election. He’s said that if he’s elected to the Senate and if his preferred presidential candidate isn’t elected, he’ll work to overturn that election.”
Hassan also spoke to the importance of one vote as her election in 2020 was with a winning margin of 1,017 votes.
She also spoke specifically to bi-partisan legislation that she was instrumental to. Among these were the CHIPS Act of 2022, which would encourage domestic production of computer chips, thus strengthening our national security, and the PACT Act, increasing mental health services to veterans. She also negotiated the infrastructure bill. One of its pluses was bringing high-speed internet to every New Hampshire community. She co-authored the CHIPS Act.
Hassan concluded her remarks with a point-blank attack on her opponent’s view on women’s reproductive healthcare.
“Finally, Don Bolduc is incredibly out of step with New Hampshire’s women,” the senator said. “It’s clear, his record makes it clear, that he would be a ‘yes’ vote for a national abortion ban. He said we should rejoice when the Dobbs decision came down. He said the gentlemen in the State Legislature are best-positioned for making these critical fundamental choices for women, and now he’s even suggesting that the practice of in-vitro fertilization should be banned.”
Dr. Tom Sherman, Democratic gubernatorial nominee, was the first of three speakers. Chants of “Tom! Tom! Tom! Tom!” energized the crowd and he accused Governor Sununu of caving to the extremists in the legislature. He drew a roar when he asked “How many of you believe it when Chris Sununu says he is the renewable energy king? How ridiculous is that?”
