Jane Westlake: Chris Sununu's public persona is not who he really is

To The Daily Sun,

This is an appeal to any Democrats and moderate Independents who are considering voting for Governor Sununu. Sununu is personable and portrays himself as a moderate, and you may feel that he has done a decent job handling the coronavirus pandemic. But below this affability is a deceitful politician whose extremist actions often belie his public persona.

Some of you are probably familiar with Sununu’s statement, “I’m a Trump guy through and through.” Today, despite Trump’s deadly mishandling of the pandemic and his attempt to destroy Obamacare, this statement is still true. In a recent interview on Guy Benson’s Fox News Radio show, Sununu declared unreservedly that he supports Trump and expects him to win in New Hampshire. Sununu openly supports right-wing candidates Corky Messner and Matt Mowers, both of whom were endorsed by Trump. Do you trust Sununu to protect your healthcare?

Democrats gained control of the State House and Senate in 2018 and have passed important legislative bills, but Sununu vetoed 79 of those bills (a record). Twice Sununu vetoed an increase in the minimum hourly wage (still $7.25), although he gave himself a $31,000 raise. The minimum hourly wage of all other NE states ranges from $10.96 to $12.75.

The Conservation Law Foundation says that Sununu “is 30 years behind on energy and climate.” He has repeatedly blocked increasing solar energy credits for customers, instead halting solar expansion and directing profits to utility companies. He vetoed a bill to invest in clean energy and jobs. He is the only governor in the Northeast who has not joined the U.S. Climate Alliance.

Although publicly declaring himself as pro-choice, Sununu does not support women’s rights. He voted to defund Planned Parenthood while on the Executive Council. He supported anti-choice Judges Gorsuch and Kavanaugh for the US Supreme Court, and, though not openly supporting Barrett, he approves of the “process” underway to appoint her. He recently gave $65,000 of Covid-19 relief funds to an anti-abortion pregnancy crisis center in Rochester.

Sununu’s luck in handling Covid-19 may be running out. He refused to mandate wearing masks and permitted unsafe rallies. Recently he declined to set guidelines for reopening schools, letting schools fend for themselves without adequate funding of PPE and other Covid-19 measures. Now Covid-19 cases are spiking, already reaching May levels. Many who thought Sununu handled the pandemic well may have second thoughts.

Once a vaccine is available and the pandemic is under control, New Hampshire will still be facing the same problems we had before the pandemic arrived. We will need a strong governor who can help us recover and lead us into the future. Clearly, Sununu is not up to that challenge.

As Senate Majority Leader, Dan Feltes has supported all the legislation that Sununu has blocked. Feltes shares our values and has shown that he is ready to meet the challenges of the future head-on. Your vote will matter on Nov. 3. For the sake of New Hampshire, please vote for Feltes.

Jane Westlake

Barnstead