New Hampshire Democrats, Republicans React To GOP Candidates For Speaker Of The House

By ZACH LAIRD, InDepth NH

Three candidates have announced their campaigns for Speaker of the House (House Majority Leader Jason Osborne, R-Auburn, Rep. Jim Kofalt, R-Wilton, and Deputy Speaker of the House Rep. Steven Smith, R-Charleston), though not everyone is pleased with their plans to run.

According to data from the Secretary of State’s office, all three candidates have registered on the campaign finance system to run for Speaker of the House, and also opened accounts to accept donations. Currently, Smith’s campaign is the only one to have received a single donation of $250 from Highland & Avery LLC, a property management company out of Plymouth.

Smith, who is serving his eighth term in the House, represents the towns of Charlestown, Newport, Unity in Sullivan County. Kofalt, who is in his third term, represents the towns Wilton, Temple and New Ipswich. Osborne, who was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2014, moved from Ohio to New Hampshire in 2010 as a member of the Free State Project, which started in 2001 with plans for a mass migration of libertarians to one small state to “create a more centralized community.”

Currently, Executive Director Eric Brakey estimates between 6,000-10,000 people have made the move to New Hampshire for the project.

Smith, Kofalt, and Osborne could not be reached for further comment.

Democrats Respond

“The next Speaker of the New Hampshire State house will be a Democrat, not any of the Free Staters who are currently running. I've heard the same message in community conversations and listening sessions across New Hampshire: people are tired of the bullying, the political games, and watching outside ideological agendas take over our State House while the issues that affect their daily lives are pushed aside,” Rep. Wendy Thomas, D-Merrimack said.

Thomas continued that people want a “House that is transparent, accountable, and focused on solving problems, not political points.” She said they want honest budgeting, open government, and leadership that acts as “an honest broker for all 400 Representatives, not just those with the loudest voice or most extreme agenda.”

She also said that for too long, the influence of the Free State Project has “driven priorities that don’t reflect the values of most New Hampshire families,” and that while property taxes continue to rise because the state refuses to adequately fund its public schools, the “GOP House Leadership has too often chosen partisan messaging over real solutions. Families deserve better.”

She added, “As Democrats, we must be prepared with a new path forward for New Hampshire. Our responsibility is to continue fighting for fair education funding that relieves the crushing burden on local property taxpayers, for transparent budgeting that people can trust, and for a government that is accountable to the people, not to special interests, out of state corporations, or ideological movements.

“This isn't about personalities. It's about the kind of House New Hampshire deserves. I believe voters are ready to turn the page on division and intimidation. They want leaders who listen, who tell the truth, and who work across differences to strengthen our communities. That's the leadership Democrats will continue to provide, and that's the caucus we all intend to help build.”

House Democratic Leader Alexis Simpson, D-Exeter, said. "No matter who Republicans choose to lead their caucus, they’re pushing the same extreme agenda. Whether it’s guns in dorm rooms or more giveaways to the ultra-wealthy, the GOP is ignoring the needs of Granite Staters and causing property taxes to skyrocket. While Republicans fight over fringe policies and push each other further to the right, House Democrats are out in communities across the state, listening to voters and addressing the challenges they face every day.”

Louise Spencer, co-founder of the Kent Street Coalition, an all-volunteer grassroots action organization, shared her concerns about the candidates.

“Look, I think House Republicans are getting ahead of themselves. Whether they pick Jason Osborne, Stephen Smith, or Jim Kofalt as Speaker really misses the point. For the last six years, Republicans have controlled the House, the Senate, and the Governor's office. This is their record: property taxes have skyrocketed, public schools are struggling, local communities have seen their authority chipped away, and more and more Granite Staters are finding it harder to afford to live here. It's called the GOP Free State agenda, and all three of these candidates have played a significant role in advancing it.

“Granite Staters are paying the price every day. Changing the gavel from one Republican to another doesn't change the agenda. The real question isn't who becomes Speaker. It's whether Granite Staters want two more years of the same failed agenda. If voters want a different direction, they have to elect a different majority. You don't change the agenda by changing the Speaker—you change it by changing the party in control of the House. That's what's really at stake this November. If Granite Staters want to move beyond the GOP Free State agenda, they have to elect a Democratic majority. That's the only way to correct the course."

Congressional Democratic candidate Rep. Heath Howard, D-Strafford, said he thinks it’s very clear that “the people of New Hampshire are looking for something different, and the leadership that I’ve seen in my time in the House from the Speaker’s office has not necessarily been the type of leadership that I think we need.”

“I think they’re also counting their eggs before we’ve actually had the election. We don’t even know who’s going to be in the majority next term, and I do think that the Republicans have made it very difficult for the public to give them that power and that support in a blank check several months in advance,” Howard said.

Republicans Respond

Rep. Brian Labrie, R-Bedford said, “Steven Smith and Jim Kofalt are awesome guys. They really are, I have a deep respect for both of them. The reason I endorsed Jason (Osborne) is because Jason was the one that is head and shoulders above all the rest — at least in my view — extremely hard working, he’s at every single event… Coming from my blue-collar background, I just align more with Jason; we both have a common drive, and that’s to get things done.”

Rep. Diane Kelley, R-Temple, said the main reason behind her decision to support Kofalt was that she knows him well, having been running mates with him for three terms, and appreciates that Kofalt is supportive of “my desire to remove all vaccine mandates, especially for pets.”

“Steven Smith has more experience than any of the others, especially as a chairman of an important committee, the House Transportation Committee. When he got up to speak, the surprising thing was that he didn’t go up with a handful of papers, he went up with no notes. He just ran on for the two or three minutes that was allotted, told us what the bill was, why we should vote for it, and what would happen if we didn’t, then he sat down; very simple. I was impressed by that,” Rep. Kenneth L. Wyler, R-Kingston said.

Weyler said as Deputy Speaker of the House, Smith treats everyone with respect and is very friendly. He said if Smith becomes Speaker, he feels that “we’ll have a more congenial House,” and said he feels Kofalt doesn’t have enough experience for the role, and he called Osborne “somewhat controversial.” He said in his mind, Osborne and Kofalt “aren’t even in the same league,” as Smith.

This article first appeared on InDepthNH.org and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.