Marc McNamara: Larson supports independent redistricting, representative for Gilmanton

To The Daily Sun,

It is my belief that the residents of Gilmanton should have their own representative in the state House as they did prior to the 2011 redistricting. Under New Hampshire Constitution Article 11, a town is entitled to its own representative seat if the population is 3,444. In the 2020 Census Gilmanton had a population of 3,945.

Although the NH House Special Committee on Redistricting drew the HB 50 House District maps, Sen. James Gray, chair of the Senate Election Law and Municipal Affairs committee, attended every hearing and promised a fair process. But when it came time for the Senate to approve the House’s bill, he did very little to support Gilmanton with its own district. Now, Gilford has 50% of the voters in the new district with Gilmanton and Laconia Ward 2 — and consequently the most power.

In prior terms, Sen. Gray supported an Independent Redistricting Commission and a fair process. This no longer seems to be the case.

Now, with gerrymandering being used as a partisan tool, he opposes an independent commission. Then this year, it was Gray himself who drew the maps for the State Senate, ultimately creating what appears to be a veto-proof majority in the State Senate. Even Gov. Chris Sununu had the backbone to veto some of the more outrageous Congressional map proposals.

Gray's opponent, Ruth Larson, has long been a proponent of fair districts. She supported an independent redistricting commission, testified for fair districts in Concord, and had she been able to vote on the maps for the new districts, would have voted for Gilmanton to have its own representative.

For this and many other reasons, I am supporting Larson for NH Senate on Nov. 8. But fair redistricting is a reason that should unite Republican, Democratic and independent voters alike.

Marc McNamara

Gilmanton