Citizens for Belknap claims victory on primary day

Citizens for Belknap, a bipartisan political action committee known for its “Reasonable, not Radical” campaign and roadside signs, claimed victory in Tuesday's GOP primary races in Gilford and Belmont, where voters rejected candidates they identified as extremists, Libertarians, Free Staters or their sympathizers.

State Rep. Norman Silber, the lowest vote getter in a lineup of seven vying for four slots to represent Republican voters in Gilford, Gilmanton and Laconia Ward 2, will not be on the November ballot. Nor will Reps. Glen Aldrich or Gregg Hough in that race, or Mike Sylvia of Belmont – GOP incumbents that Citizens for Belknap did not endorse in its voting guide that ran online and in an advertisement in The Laconia Daily Sun, and was distributed outside the polls on Tuesday.

“I think we had a very good day,” said Citizens for Belknap organizer Brian Beihl, who lives in Alton Bay. “We were able to unseat our primary objectives, Mr. Silber and Mr. Sylvia. I thought the voters appreciated our guidance. One thing we have accomplished aside from unseating extremist state reps is voters realize they need to do more homework. They understand now they have to be a lot more careful who they vote for,” Beihl said.

“As a former Gunstock Commissioner, this change means the storm clouds have passed and the sun will come out at Gunstock Mountain Resort,” said Brian Gallagher, a former Sanbornton resident who now lives in Lincoln, and is a Republican member of Citizens for Belknap.

“It was about the voters. They educated themselves. They were tired of being represented by people who didn’t represent themselves. That spoke loudly in Gilford and Belmont. The voters had enough. We did a job in educating people,” said Al Posnack of Alton, a Democrat, and the chair and founder of Citizens for Belknap.

Posnack said the group will continue its political advocacy and voter education mission in the general election in November and beyond. Beihl, a Democrat, worked until March 2022 for Open Democracy, a group dedicated to campaign finance reform, and issues of redistricting, voting rights and voter suppression, which are Democrat causes. He said the bipartisan Citizens for Belknap PAC will update its voter guide for November to include Democrats and possibly independents in some races.

“Our charter is to promote reasonable representatives, not support people with extreme views,” Beihl said. "We're making recommendations. We're not forcing anyone to vote a particular way."

David Hershey, the only GOP hopeful endorsed by Citizens for Belknap in Alton, was not among the top three candidates for state representative who will compete in November against Democrats in Alton and Barnstead.

Speaking of remaining GOP candidates the group views as radical, Posnack said, “There will still be a few extremists left standing and we’ll address them in the same way,” outing those who portray themselves as Republicans, but identify or sympathize with extremists.

He said the group is not planning to review Democrats for radical leanings but will recommend candidates from both parties that its 15-person steering committee believes are “intelligent, reasonable and common sense” potentials for public office.

He said the PAC has not yet looked at any uncontested Democrats. He said its focus has been on Republican radicals in Belknap County, including any who  are Libertarians or Free Staters as well as those who reject those labels, but have expressed those views publicly or through their voting records.

Beihl said the group will continue to examine candidates’ records related to county matters, especially when it comes to Gunstock and funding the Belknap County Nursing Home. He said the group looks for candidates who support the budget put forth by county commissioners, without recommending drastic, service-compromising cuts, and red flags those who vote to remove financial support for human service nonprofits, especially related to seniors and mental health.

Overwhelmingly, the year's conflicts related to Gunstock, which jeopardized the resort's operations and management, galvanized voters and increased the PAC's followers, who currently number over 600, according to online records, said Beihl.

“The situation at Gunstock, when jobs and survival of Gunstock were on the line, eight of these people [county delegates] didn’t show up for the meeting” in August, he said. “Even if you don’t agree with the issue, this is one of the worst examples of public service I’ve ever seen.”

Beihl said Citizens for Belknap's leadership endorses candidates they believe will be good stewards of county resources.

Beihl said its steering committee membership is divided equally between Democrats, Republicans and Independents, and 95% of the PAC’s funding has come from Belknap County residents, including summer homeowners who are motivated to preserve Gunstock.

Rick Zach, a Gilford Republican and retired Gunstock employee, said he volunteers for Citizens for Belknap but does not represent the PAC. On Tuesday, he held a “Reasonable not Radical” sign outside polling places in Gilford, Belmont and Laconia Ward 4. He said very few people wanted copies of the PAC’s voter guides, but many came with a printed copy of the guide which ran last week as an ad in The Laconia Daily Sun.

“People were saying, ‘Thank you, I’ve seen your ads. I know what I’m going to do,'” said Zach. “There was no question. [Tuesday] was a trouncing of Free Staters and Free stater sympathizers. There was nothing vague about it.”

“We’re making recommendations. We’re not forcing anyone to vote a particular way. We’re making full use of our voice as citizens to raise alarm about citizens we’re worried about,” said Beihl. “A better informed voter is a more powerful voter for the state.”