County Dems elect officers during state convention held Saturday in Manchester

Meeting in conjunction with the state Democratic Party Convention in Manchester on Saturday, the Belknap County Democrats held a caucus to elect new officers and delegates.

"We had a great turnout from throughout Belknap County," said Beth Arsenault, who was elected to her second term as chair of the county's Democratic Committee. Joining her on the Belknap County Democratic Party's Executive Committee are Garen Daly of Gilmanton, elected vice chair; Cris Blackstone of Alton, Secretary; John Mucci of Meredith, Treasurer; and Christy Cunningham and Peter Brunette of Laconia as Delegates at Large.

According to Arsenault more than fifty people from Belknap County attended the convention and caucus, a sizeable increase from years past.

"People are more motivated this year," Arsenault observed. "There is a real dedication at the grassroots level to making certain that more than one voice is heard in the corridors of power."

To help foster that diversity of voices in Concord, Arsenault says she has joined with a number of local Democrats who have already announced, or will soon announce they're seeking legislative offices in Concord. A two-term Laconia school board member, Arsenault is challenging Republican Rob Boyce of Alton for the Fourth District New Hampshire Senate seat, and her mother Judie Reever, former chair of the N.H. State Board of Education is running for one of Laconia's five seats in the New Hampshire House. Mike Warmington, a pharmacist from Gilford, declared his candidacy for the N.H. House yesterday, and Arsenault hinted that further declarations from Democratic candidates in Gilmanton, Center Harbor, Laconia and Tilton will be forthcoming.

"We already have a strong slate of candidates who have stepped forward this year," she said, "and I've heard from a number of other people who've expressed a genuine interest in running."

"It's been an amazing year so far," noted Cunningham, who serves as the Voter File Manager for the New Hampshire Democratic Party. "Beth has done a tremendous job in helping local town committees organize while at the same time trying to stay focused on her campaign to unseat Rob Boyce, and her efforts and the response in Belknap County are earning recognition at the state party headquarters."

"The leadership being exhibited by Arsenault is a model for all counties throughout the state," observed N.H. Democratic Party Executive Director Mike Vlacich, endorsing Cunningham's remarks. "Beth has emerged as one of the stars in the state, and Belknap County will not be taken for granted in this election cycle."

Vlacich credits Arsenault with having built a depth of support throughout the county, attracting liberals, moderates and conservatives in a common cause. "This is the strongest the Democratic party has been in Belknap County in decades," Vlacich said, "and Beth has provided the kind of leadership that brings together people from all walks of life, and from virtually every community."

Arsenault, however, downplays her role. "The success we've enjoyed has been a result of the efforts of people in each of the communities in Belknap County," she said, "people who have stepped forward with ideas and energy and an insistence that their voices are heard and considered."

"What I've discovered is that New Hampshire voters are frustrated by the power of special interest groups and are determined to assert their voices," she continued. "What I believe the role of the party should be is to provide a means for those voices to be amplified, and by joining together, we become a chorus that cannot be ignored."