Blankenbeker's Out

Republicans at the are about to lose one of their own.

State Rep. , R-Concord, will not be running for re-election in November, she confirmed on June 6.

Blankenbeker, the city’s only Republican in the Legislature, is being recalled by the military back into active duty for a three-year stint at the Pentagon working on policy initiatives, she said. The reservist, who has also been to Afghanistan, working as a nurse, said it was a difficult decision but the recall helped make up her mind.

“Before I heard about the recall, I had already started thinking that I wasn’t going to run again anyways,” she said. “I’ve always believed that candidates should set term limits … there aren’t statutorily imposed term limits, we have to set them for ourselves. I felt that once I had promised to do the work I said I was going to do and hoped to do in the House, that it would be time for me to go.”

Blankenbeker, who is also an attorney, said she spent the bulk of her time focused on pro business legislation, creating jobs, lowering taxes and fees, and balancing the budget, all of which were successfully accomplished during her time in the House. She also spent time working on pension reform, and thought it was working in the direction of “sustainable preservation for our state employees.” Blankenbeker said she would have liked one more term, to try and get right-to-work approved, and other initiatives.

Blankenbeker’s first foray into politics came in an unsuccessful bid for the New Hampshire House in 2008, a “blue tsunami” year for Democrats. She came in seventh for five seats. Also losing that year was former Concord Mayor Jim MacKay, one of the most liberal Republicans in the House at the time, was swept out of office because he had an “R” next to his name.

Blankenbeker won her House seat in a special election to fill the vacated position of then-state Rep. Tara Reardon, D-Concord, who had taken a job with the state and resigned her post. She faced off against MacKay that year, who switched parties and ran as a Democrat. She won by 17 votes. In 2010, she placed fifth and retained her seat, bumping off then-Democrat state Rep. Michael Bartlett.

This last legislative session was a contentious one, with a lot of controversial issues such as abortion and contraception being raised by legislators. Blankenbeker said despite some controversies, she thought it was a productive session, especially when considering the work that was accomplished.

“You’re never going to stop any of the legislators that have (social issues) legislation they want to bring in,” she said. “The social issues really create the chaos. In my own personal opinion, I think the Legislature needs to stay out of a lot of this social stuff. But when someone brings it, you have an obligation to hear it.”

For all the other controversy pinned on Republicans, often taken out of context, especially when she’s been quoted in press stories, she noted, the Democrats did similar things when they were in control, she noted, especially on controversial legislation such as gay marriage and parental notification for abortions for teenage girls.

“They did the exact same thing, when they were the super majority,” she said.

Blankenbeker made national headlines last year when in an email she spoke about her Army training, including using a .50 caliber gun, and joked that she would be ready for any union members coming after her.

After a long stint as a nurse, including with a hospital in Vermont, Blankenbeker decided to get a law degree. She came to the decision after working with legal counsel for wounded warriors. Observers noted that she showed great skill working on the case and would make a perfect lawyer. Blankenbeker also realized that the only way to continue to help other soldiers and to move ahead in rank, was to get her law degree and get more credentials.

“I didn’t think about getting the law degree to advance my military career,” she said. “I was really thinking about getting a law degree so I could help our warriors and I was looking for an avenue to do that. And then, of course, I got promoted because I did have an advanced degree.”

While Blankenbeker may be leaving the political arena today, her political career may not be over just yet.

“I’m not done politically,” she said. “There’s a political future for me somewhere in New Hampshire. Whether it is being a better activist or better fundraiser or whether it’s running for another office, I don’t know. I’ll have to wait and see what happens.”