Goffstown Rep. Endorses Sanborn for House Speaker

CONCORD, NH — A potential candidate for Speaker of the House against Shawn Jasper, R-Hudson, has decided to forgo a race and back one of his challengers. State Rep. John Burt, R-Goffstown, said in a press release on Sept. 28, 2016, that he would be backing state Rep. Laurie Sanborn, R-Bedford, during the post-election campaign to lead the House of Representatives.

“She is the only person who will win the necessary support to defeat the current speaker, unite our fractured caucus and stay true to our Republican values and priorities," he said. "Having worked with Laurie over the past six years, I know that while she is a conservative, she has repeatedly proven an ability to work well with all members of the House. She is consistently principled, thoughtful, organized and kind to everyone, and I know she will be a very effective and positive Speaker. I recognize it's not enough to be a good Republican; you also need to have the skill set to get the job done. Laurie's extensive experience managing large and small businesses, and her legislative experience as the third ranked member of the House shows she is uniquely qualified to hit the ground running."

Burt said he was upset that Jasper was reportedly using his campaign funds to unseat GOP members of the house during the primary, an unprecedented action. He added that he was concerned that Jasper would retaliate against other Republicans who aren’t supporting his re-election effort and called on him "to commit" to members of the party that he wouldn’t target other GOP members.

Sanborn – who was removed from a budget committee assignment by Jasper, after vocally not supporting a compromise budget last year – thanked Burt for his endorsement and welcomed him to her team.

"We are building a large and broad coalition of Republican support, and John brings a wealth of knowledge, strong leadership and a unifying approach to our efforts to rebuild the Republican party and restore the NH Advantage,” she said.

Burt is a member of the House Republican Alliance and also the organizer of the annual Hot Dog Day at the Statehouse Plaza, which funds dog charities. He has served on the House Fish and Game, Criminal Justice, and Municipal and County Government committees. He also is known for his TV show, “NH Politics with John Burt.”

Jasper earlier this month won a Republican primary slot in a multi-candidate field, placing eighth for 11 seats out of 17 candidates running, according to the New Hampshire Union Leader. He announced last week that he would be running for another term as Speaker.