3 From GOP Vie To Face Kuster

HOPKINTON, NH — Two of the three candidates hoping to be the Republican primary nominee to face-off against U.S. Rep. Ann McLane Kuster met for the first time last night at a forum in Hopkinton. Former state Rep. Lynne Blankenbeker of Concord, Dr. Stewart Levenson of Hopkinton, and state Rep. Steve Negron of Nashua are running in the GOP primary to face Kuster. Both Blankenbeker and Levenson appeared at the event; Negron sent a surrogate – state Rep. Michael Moffett, R-Loudon.

About 50 people attended with 41 Republicans voting in the straw poll. Negron won the poll with 20 votes while Blankenbeker received 12 votes while Levenson earned nine.

Each candidate offered a five minute opening biographical statement and then, answered a number of questions from the audience.

In this video, the candidates offer some some insight about themselves:

Blankenbeker – a mom, military nurse, and an attorney – said she would compete for the seat not unlike the special election she won for a state representative seat against a former Concord mayor in what was considered a safe Democrat seat.

“I thought, ‘Gosh, I’ve got all this great background: I have 31 years in healthcare … 31 years in the military … I have a very recent experience to the dysfunction at the Pentagon,'” she said. “Why can’t I bring that to Congress and make a difference for all of us?”

Levenson, who worked for the VA in Manchester and was at the forefront of exposing some of the problems at the facility, has worked the last 20 years as a physician’s executive. He pointed to President Trump’s success getting elected in 2016, and said one of the solutions to fixing things in Congress was to send non-politicians to work on behalf of the people.

“If we’re going to take back Congress and reform it, we need a candidate outside of the political establishment,” he said. “I’m not a politician … I’m a doctor.”

Moffett said that Negron was a good family man, was likable, and also served in the military. He added that all three candidates would be better than Kuster but he was supporting Negron who was networking in D.C. this week, in order to fight hard for the seat.

“What an impressive guy he is,” he added. “He’s a wonderful guy, a committee whip, with a wonderful life story.”

In this video, the candidates talk about key issues:

The questions ranged from three specific issues the candidates wanted to work on, the future of Social Security for younger generations, foreign policy, and how each candidate would raise money and put together a competitive campaign against Kuster, who purportedly has millions in her campaign account.

Caption: Former state Rep. Lynne Blankenbeker makes a point during a forum in Hopkinton on Feb. 8, 2018, along with Dr. Stewart Levenson of Hopkinton, center. State Rep. Michael Moffett, R-Loudon, spoke for state Rep. Steve Negron of Nashua, a third candidate. Image via Tony Schinella, Patch staff.