Steven Hepburn: Vote out the old vanguard, insert moderates in upcoming general election

To The Daily Sun,

I watched with great interest the video of the Belknap County Republican Committee meeting that took place after the primary election. An election where the public of Belknap County sent a strong message to the extremist Republicans and Libertarians that currently lead the County Committee.

You would think that Norm Silber and his Executive Committee might reflect on their positions and realize that their stances are unappealing to the Belknap electorate. Instead, after a religious invocation, the Pledge of Allegiance, singing of the "Star-Spangled Banner" and a further Bible reading by Norm, he exclaimed, “We may have lost this battle, but we have not lost the war.”

And so their extreme, nationalistic, QAnon-Libertarian control of Belknap County Republicans continues. You can see the impact in the in-fighting that is now taking place amongst the Republican candidates. The cries of “liberal Communist” are now laughably launched squarely at Conservative Republicans by those who are convinced that they are still the vanguard in their idealogical culture war.

Norm is right about one thing: the primary victories for common sense were just a single battle. The people of Belknap County would do well to keep their eyes open as we move toward the Nov. 8 general election. There are many candidates in races who were endorsed by Norm and his allies: Tom Ploszaj (Center Harbor, New Hampton), Lisa Smart (Meredith), Juliet Harvey-Bolia (Sanbornton, Tilton), Steven Bogert (Laconia), Richard Littlefield (Laconia), Dawn Johnson (Laconia), Harry Bean (Gilford, Gilmanton, Laconia 2), Peter Varney (Alton, Barnstead), Paul Terry (Alton, Barnstead) and Barbara Comtois (Alton, Barnstead).

The current Belknap County commissioners are asking for change to better manage the county. Voters should pay particular attention to the alternatives available in their districts. Please consider moderate candidates from either side of the aisle.

Steven Hepburn

Gilford