Claremont mayor and state rep changing party affiliation from Democrat to Republican

Dale Girard, who serves as both a state representative and mayor of Claremont, went to Claremont City Hall Monday morning to change his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican, he announced on Facebook.

“This decision came after a great deal of thought and consideration,” he wrote. “I want to be clear — this is not a reflection of any issue I have with Democratic Party leadership. However, during my time serving as a Representative in Concord, I came to realize that my personal ideologies did not align as closely with the party as I once believed.”

The switch doesn’t impact his position as mayor as that is an officially nonpartisan role, but it does slightly shift the party composition of the New Hampshire House of Representatives. The Republicans’ majority in the House now grows from 214-178 to 215-177. A series of resignations and deaths this session have also affected the chamber’s composition, including Keene Democrat Dylan Germana, who resigned in February while the Attorney General’s Office was investigating whether he was legally domiciled in his district, and Gilmanton Republican Harry Bean, who died in February.

“Over the years, many have described me as a “Blue Dog Democrat,” a label more common in the Kennedy era than in today’s political climate,” Girard continued. “My voting record over the past two years has often aligned more closely with Republican positions, and this change reflects that reality.”

He said the switch “does not change who I am” and that his commitment remains “to represent the best interests of the City of Claremont, the Town of Croydon, and the State of New Hampshire.”

Girard is the second representative to switch party affiliation this session. In February, Rep. David Nagel, of Gilmanton, switched his affiliation from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party, following disputes with GOP leadership.