John King: Crawford missed almost half the state Legislature’s crucial votes

During the three forums for New Hampshire candidates running for Madison, Tamworth and Moultonborough, incumbent Karel Crawford was absent 66% of the time.

She might have good reasons for missing two of the three forums, however, it’s part of a larger pattern. In the 2021-22 session of the state Legislature, according to Citizens Count, she only voted about half the time on crucial roll call votes. The average legislator voted 88% of the time. She didn’t vote on 70 separate bills in just February and March of 2019 and didn’t vote on 58 in the same months in 2018, according to NH General Court records.

After 10 years in the Statehouse, one would expect her to take a leadership role. However, in the last session she was the prime sponsor of zero bills.

In contrast, Jerry Knirk, another incumbent running for Statehouse in Moultonborough, cast a vote in 98% of the 2021-22 roll call votes. He was the prime sponsor of five bills, of which three became law.

Crawford recently ran for and won a seat on the Moultonborough selectboard. That’s commendable, but means even less time to devote to her legislative duties.

Gabrielle Watson and Peaco Todd are running for the seat that Crawford now holds. They will be engaged, active legislators as is their mentor Jerry Knirk, who along with Sandra Ringelstein is also on the ballot in the Madison, Tamworth and Moultonborough.

Voters in those towns have a choice: vote for enthusiastic, dedicated candidates like Watson and Todd — along with their separate district running mates Jerry Knirk and Sandra Ringelstein — or for an incumbent who is missing in action way too often.

John King

Moultonborough