This year’s Presidential Primary has profoundly altered the political landscape of New Hampshire. In Exeter alone, 325 new people registered to vote on primary election day this past January, and hundreds more have registered since then.

Governor Howard Dean’s message to us in the primary was that one vote has to matter, and it is up to each of us to make sure that it does. His words inspired us to involvement - to action on behalf of our family and community futures. As Eric Turer of Brentwood has said, referring to Dean, “He was known for pioneering the use of the internet, but it was really his use of house parties and the Meet-Up system that was pioneering. He used the internet to support these, but the real point was to get people together in face-to-face settings to discuss ideas (and not just his candidacy). This created lasting bonds between people in communities that might live only a few doors apart, but did not communicate. I know that's true for me. I never would have written personal letters to strangers in Brentwood, or invited them into my home, if it were not for Dean.”

Governor Dean’s promise of an energized and organized local political community that would survive his candidacy has been realized in the forms of the Seacoast Progressive Alliance (SPA), a continuation of at least eleven monthly MeetUps across the state, and Democracy for New Hampshire (DFNH). SPA and DFNH, like so many other groups and MeetUps around the state, were formed or reconstituted almost simultaneously from the void left by the Dean campaign. As Nancy Tobi of Lyndeborough and DFNH founding board member and Vice Chair recently said, “When Governor Dean left the presidential race, the energy that he inspired in so many of us didn’t go away. You still see it everywhere: in the actions of ordinary people never before involved in politics, who are now attending political rallies and marches, writing letters to the editor, and running for office.”

Following his departure from the presidential race, Governor Dean created Democracy for America (DFA), a national political action committee dedicated to supporting fiscally conservative, socially progressive candidates at all levels of government—from school board to the presidency. Here in New Hampshire, DFNH was created by NH citizens as an independent organization promoting similar goals and ideas, but focused strictly on state and local issues. DFNH is one of 38 active state “DFA affiliates”. Its mission: DFNH is a nonpartisan big-tent organization that promotes grassroots community involvement in the democratic process in New Hampshire. DFNH works to protect the foundations of our democracy and the integrity of our political process and supports fiscally responsible, socially progressive candidates who speak honestly about policy choices.

At its kickoff event press conference in Concord last Thursday (coordinated by Chaz Proulx of Exeter, DFNH Communications Director and board alternate),DFNH Chair, Peter Glenshaw announced the “DFNH Baker’s Dozen” endorsed candidates. These are progressive candidates that DFNH intends to support with financial and other resources. Seven of the thirteen are first-time statewide candidates. They are:

For State Representative:

Dan Allen (District 1)
Daniel Carr (District 4)
Siddhartha Das (District 27)
Christine Hamm (District 4)
Suzanne Harvey (Nashua Ward 2)
Paul Johnson (District 26)
Suzanne Kepner (District 85)
Aaron Lavallee (District 5)
Terie Norelli (District 16)

For State Senate:

“Maggie” Wood Hassan (District 23)
McKim Mitchell (District 10)

For Governor’s Council:

Debora Pignatelli (District 5)

For Governor:

John Lynch

Candidate bios and other information can be found on the DFNH website created and managed by board member and Technical Director, Roger Goun of Brentwood.
www.democracyfornewhampshire.com

DFNH also recognized the following candidates:

Marlene DeChane - Senate District 6
Eileen Flockhart - House District 13
John Friede - House District 3
Jennifer Mitchell - House District 8
Susi Nord - House District 1

As Nancy Tobi summed up at the press conference, “DFNH, like so many of the Dean MeetUp groups now, is no longer just Dean supporters. The energy has spread out to include many others who believe in the power of grassroots political action. DFNH is nonpartisan, and is dedicated to nothing less than saving and preserving our democracy through citizen participation in our own governance.”

”And like the energy left in Dean’s wake, we are here to stay. We invite others to join us – we do have the power to take back our country and our state, and together, that is exactly what we are going to do. We are proud to be here today to endorse these fine candidates, who are fiscally responsible, socially progressive, and who are not afraid to speak honestly about policy choices. We will continue to support candidates like these, who will be held accountable to the people who elect them, and to the democracy they serve.”

This new progressive political movement will fairly and aggressively represent the voters of New Hampshire, in contrast to the current special interest government that has worked against the needs of average NH citizens.