Midterm 2022: Meet the senate racers

It's been nearly two years since the presidential election. That means it's time for the midterm election. New Hampshire's senate seat is among the most coveted prizes, and according to some national statistics, the most vulnerable.

Currently, incumbent United States Sen. Maggie Hassan will have a four-way race between herself, Libertarian Jeremy Kauffman, Thomas Sharpe V of the Progressive Bull Moose Party, and whichever Republican comes out on top in the primary. There are eight Republicans vying for the chance to battle Hassan for the senate, some with extensive political experience, others with none. The Daily Sun spoke to Hassan, Kauffman, and four of the Republican candidates about their hopes, concerns and platforms for 2022.

Hassan brings extensive political experience and a healthy amount of campaign funding to the table. She has served as a New Hampshire senator, two terms as governor and won the U.S. Senate seat in 2016.

“What I'll focus on is making my case to Granite Staters,” Hassan said. “My focus is going to be on how I've delivered to Granite Staters with tangible results, and that I'm going to stand up as I have to any corporate special interests.”

Hassan cited her work on President Joe Biden's infrastructure bill, reproductive rights advocacy, and some of her involvement with the Lakes Region.

“When it comes to Laconia, I am proud of the fact I helped get funding to help the airport expand as part of the infrastructure bill, as well as $5 million for substance use disorder programs modeled after the work of Eric Adams.”

Kauffman is running against Hassan under the Libertarian banner.

“I’m very proud to live in New Hampshire. I’m a big believer in Libertarian values like volunteerism, volunteers associations,” Kauffman explained. “I want to make sure that message is getting out there.”

Kauffman touted Libertarian platforms such as decreasing government power and reach.

“In terms of key issues for me, it's things related to COVID,” Kauffman said, “making sure the lock downs and restrictions can't happen again.”

Another key issue for Kauffman was the infamous U.S. war on drugs.

“We've got to end the drug war. It's a waste of money, hurts innocent people and it violates our most basic rights,” Kauffman said. “We have this problem with opioids. Making them illegal is a big part of the problem. It doesn't stop people from getting them. Anyone who wants them can get them. You've got to treat it as what it actually is, a health issue. It's arguably made it worse, we have people in jail from this war on drugs.”

Kauffman was not the only challenger to focus on America's opioid epidemic. For newcomer Republican candidate Edmond Laplante, the crisis is his primary platform.

“Opioid addiction and addiction in general, everyone I know, myself included, has a family member that's died or is deeply affected by it. It's out of control I feel that's a bipartisan thing,” said Laplante, who lives in Richmond.

“In my view, I would have to cut the head off the snake. Crack down on drug enforcement. Get a handle on it first. Once you cut off the supply or shorten the supply, then we can concentrate on the mental aspect of it.”

Like Kauffman, Laplante has no prior political experience, but he views this trait as an asset, not a liability.

“I'm an auto mechanic. I'm not a professor or a lawyer, I'm not politically associated with anybody,” Laplante said. “I'm not beholden to anybody except the people. It's 'we the people'. I'm closer to the people. I've been in the Marine Corps. for eight years. I work on people's cars. I work on lawyers', police, judges' cars and McDonald's worker's cars. People talk, and a lot of time they make sense. People have a lot of sense of what's going on. Sometimes the simple solution is the best. We don't need to make it so complex.”

Laplante isn't the only veteran making a push for the senate seat. Laconia native Don Bolduc believes his prior career as a U.S. Army Special Forces general will give him a unique edge when it comes to working across the aisle in a divided America.

“If we don't sit down and work together like Ronald Reagan and Tip O'Neill did, like Bill Clinton and Newt Gingrich did, we're never going to get from point A to point B when it comes to solving the real problems for America,” Bolduc said. “I sat across from people in Afghanistan that wanted to kill me.”

Bolduc was referencing a key leader engagement, or KLE, where U.S., insurgent and local village leaders all meet to work out a compromise. “Nine times out of ten, we found that common ground to stop the fighting inside a village or an area of villages so people could farm, bring their farm products to harvest, get water, and live,” Bolduc said. “I think we can do the same thing with that same approach, different environment, but same approach.”

Another local, Republican candidate is Tejasinha Sivalingam, an Ashland resident and rental property owner with experience racing as both a Democrat and Republican in the New Hampshire House.

“As recently as 2019, actually early 2020, I was a Democrat. I supported Tulsi Gabbard, I was also supporting the Trump campaign as well,” Sivalingam recalled. “What I saw in 2020, with the COVID issue, is a complete disposal of the founding principles of the country.”

After witnessing lockdowns and health measures that many Republicans felt went too far, Sivalingam decided to join their ranks and make a bid for senate on a platform of returning to what he sees as America's foundational principles.

“I'm running because we are at what I believe is the re-founding of the United States of America, a re-visitation, a revitalization of the original principles on which the country was founded,” Sivalingham said. “I want to make sure that we as a people experience the same freedom, at least as much freedom, hopefully more freedom and prosperity, that we experienced growing up so far.”

When asked about his thoughts on his Republican and potentially Democrat competition, Sivalngham boldly stated, “I will be sworn in as the next United States Senator for the great state of New Hampshire on Jan. 3, 2023, 12 noon, inside the United States capital building.”

Kevin Smith also expressed confidence at the upcoming race, but stated that he's not taking the competition lightly.

“I think voters are looking for a new generation of conservative leadership,” Smith said. “I'm talking about kitchen table topics like the out of control inflation, prices at the store, gas pump, home heating oil, building, supply costs, we still have a supply chain shortage and a staffing shortage.” This kitchen table ideology is also blended with a conservative, pro-business economic philosophy, which Smith credited with his success during his time in town government.

“I was town manager in Londonderry. We grew the town tax base by $2.2 billion, and gave $11 million back to the taxpayers and budget surplus. It resulted in a historic low municipal tax rate, but also rolling out the red carpet for employers and increased jobs in the area and the overall economic vitality.”

Although Smith stated he's not taking his Republican competition lightly, he had some choice words for the incumbent.

“I feel very good about going against Maggie,” Smith said. “I've said she's an absent senator, she's hardly in the state. At the same time if you look at her votes, I don't think it's representative of the Granite State.”

Despite the strength and coincidence expressed by Republican candidates, Hassan still leads all of her opponents in campaign funding. Whichever Republican comes out on top will most likely be in for quite the fight. But if the last decade of American politics has taught us anything, it's that there are absolutely zero guarantees.

Chuck Morse and Dennis Lamare did not respond to The Daily Sun's interview requests.