Edelblut Easily Wins Taxpayer Picnic Straw Poll

MANCHESTER, NH – Less than 48 hours after winning the coveted 603 Alliance endorsement, a first term state representative from Wilton has accomplished another major feat in an attempt to win the Republican nomination for governor: Besting better known candidates at the Coalition of New Hampshire Taxpayers annual picnic and straw poll earlier today.

Businessman Frank Edelblut earned the votes of more than 55 percent of those who cast ballots on July 9, 2016, out of nine candidates expected to be on the ballot as a Republican, Libertarian, or independent for 2016. Executive Councilor Chris Sununu came in second with 23 percent and Manchester Major Ted Gatsas came in third with 12 percent.

According to attendees, only the results of the top three candidates in each category were sent to the media.

Jeannie Forrester and Jon Lavoie, also on the ballot as Republicans, as well as Max Abramson, Michael Gill, Jilletta Jarvis, and William Fortune, all hoping to gain ballot access via signature collection, were also up for consideration.

Two hundred people voted in the straw poll, according to the org.

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In the U.S. Senate race, incumbent U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte barely nosed out a win against state Sen. Jim Rubens, 79 to 78 votes. Aaron Day of the Stark360 org, who is attempting to secure ballot access as an independent, received 15 votes. Other Republicans on the ballot – Tom Alciere, Gerard Beloin, and Stanley Michael Emanuel; as well independent candidates Brian Chabot and John Riggieri – were considered by attendees.

Attendees also offered preferences in the straw poll in the Congressional races, too.

For the 1st District, incumbent U.S. Rep. Frank Guinta, R-NH, bested businessman Rich Ashooh, 81 to 77. Brendan Kelly – who is attempting to gain ballot access as an independent – received 13 votes. Michael Callis, Jamieson Hale Gradert, and Robert Risley, other Republicans on the ballot, and both Robert Lombardo and Shawn O’Connor, both running as independents, are also running.

In the 2nd Congressional District race, Jim Lawrence, who ran in 2014 for the Republican nomination and is running again, trounced all the other candidates with 112 votes. Libertarian candidate John Babiarz received 15 votes and Jack Flanagan, another Republican running, received 13 votes. Other Republicans running for the nomination – Eric Estevez, Walter Kelly, Andy Martin, Jay Mercer, and Casey Newell – were also considered.

Caption: State Rep. Frank Edelblut, R-Wilton, speaking to attendees at the Coalition of New Hampshire Taxpayers annual picnic and straw poll.