Former Republican Humphrey Joins Other NH Indies In Backing Biden

CHICHESTER, NH — As the old, kind of tired saying goes, politics makes strange bedfellows. Two generations ago, U.S. Sen. Gordon Humphrey, then a Republican firebrand, was a cheerleader of the Reagan revolution. He made his political mark by refusing to vote for now seemingly responsible federal budgets because they weren't balanced and spent too much money. Humphrey supported designating ketchup as a vegetable in school lunch programs. And when an aborted fetus was found at the Concord city dump in the 1980s, he led a march to the dump and prayed with others for the soul of the unborn.

Today, that same man is backing a Democrat in 2020, former Vice President Joe Biden, an abortion-rights advocate who played a role in doubling the national debt in eight short years — accumulating nearly as much federal debt as the previous 43 presidents combined.

This is just one of the dynamics in play in the wake of the 2016 election that saw a disrupter elected to the White House and those who despise or fear him and his actions, wanting him removed from office.

Humphrey, a long-time Republican turned independent three years ago after the party nominated Donald Trump, endorsed Biden Monday along with 100 other Granite State independents or undeclared voters, according to the Biden campaign.

"For the sake of our national security, it’s urgent we replace President Trump in November," he said. "President Trump has jeopardized our international alliances, and what we need now more than ever is strong, steady leadership, not government by tantrums and Tweets. I am confident that Joe Biden will restore calm and rationality to the White House and rebuild America's standing in the world."

Humphrey, who served with Biden for 12 years in the Senate, said he knew and trusted him, adding that he would help restore the soul to the nation.

"No one comes close to his experience or his ability to achieve bipartisan consensus," he said.

Long-time politicos in the Granite State have become accustomed to Humphrey's unpredictability of late, on the eve of turning 80, a stark contrast to the staunch fiscal and social conservatism of his past.

In the 2018 cycle, Humphrey endorsed Democrat Chris Pappas, the state's first openly gay Representative to Congress, in the 1st Congressional District race against Republican Eddie Edwards, due to his civility and lack of taking a position for or against Trump, even though he couldn't vote for Pappas since he lives in the 2nd Congressional District.

In the previous presidential primary, Humphrey backed former Ohio Gov. John Kasich in 2015 and was one of his convention delegates. Humphrey, who owns WKXL, a Concord AM radio news station, made political headlines nationally when he attempted to derail Trump's nomination at the convention in 2016 and formally left the party.

On the eve of the 2016 election, before a Hillary Clinton rally in Manchester, Humphrey shocked many in the state by endorsing Clinton in an official campaign video that was shown to about three thousand cheering supporters.

Humphrey was also one of the first to call for Trump's impeachment not long after his election.

About six and a half years ago, Humphrey, an Air Force veteran and military hawk who supported arms shipments to Afghanistan to Osama bin Ladin and the Mujahideen, attempting to drive the Soviets out of the country in the 1980s, wrote a letter supporting the actions of National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden. Snowden, who was a Central Intelligence Agency employee, exposed massive "deep state" spying programs but some in the military believed by leaking classified information, he put troops in harm's way.

In later life though, after a number of visits to Russia, while not softening his stance on communism, Humphrey came to embrace much of the culture, music, and arts of the region, including learning to speak Russian.

100 Indies Coalition

Here is the list of 100 New Hampshire independents/undeclareds who are supporting Biden in the primary.

• Sue Allen, Portsmouth
• David Barry, Strafford
• Peter Beeson, Concord
• Richard Berryman, Concord
• Stephen Birch, Concord
• Claire Black, Nashua
• Cheryl Bonacorsi, Salem
• Bridget Boyd, Fremont
• Robin Bransdorfer, Plymouth
• Jamie Brassill, Manchester
• Paul Brown, Stratham
• Catherine Butterfield, Windham
• Ruth-Anne Calandra, Nashua
• W.L. Carino, Brookline
• D.A. Carino, Brookline
• Jed Carpentier, Exeter
• Kevin Coalter, Derry
• Gerald Coogan, New London
• Jeanne Corbett, Manchester
• Maria Crupi, Londonderry
• Maureen Curran, Nashua
• Joan Doran, New London
• Olivia Dupell, Epping
• Joan Durocher, Manchester
• Keith Ennis, Amherst
• Nancy Farrell, Derry
• Sylvie Forcier, Goffstown
• Angela French, Milford
• Carroll Garnett, Dover
• Nancy Gigliello, Bethlehem
• Diana Griffin, Peterborough
• Margaret Gynan, Derry
• George Haegele, Bedford
• Ronald Hannon, Pelham
• Tammy Hanson, Berlin
• Roger Hargens, Center Ossipee
• Nancy Harper, Manchester
• Judith Hayward, Walpole
• Barbara Hebert, Franklin
• Louise Henderson, Seabrook
• Barbie Holman, Hampton
• Diane Hooper, Northfield
• Andrea Huertas, Laconia
• Gordon Humphrey, Chichester
• "Henry Isaacson, Rochester
• Robert Jezak, Pelham
• James Keenan, Hooksett
• Rene Labranche, Weare
• Kendall Lane, Keene
• Donna Leroy, Derry
• Jo Ellen Lindh D'Ambrosio, Peterborough
• Diane Mancino, Claremont
• Joseph Maraldo, Sunapee
• Melissa Mastin, Stratham
• K.H. McMahon, Concord
• Patrick McMullen, Barrington
• Ron Menard, Tilton
• Ludger Morin, Richmond
• Judith Newcomb, Windham
• William Newcomb, Windham
• Judith O'Heir, North Hampton
• Franklin Palmer, Barrington
• William Palumbo, Derry
• Pamela Patterson, Merrimack
• Maria Perkinson, Nashua
• Dorothy Peterson, Peterborough
• Chris Peterson, Derry
• Laura Peterson, Derry
• Candace Phillips, Rochester
• Kathryn Pitten, Merrimack
• John Proulx, Amherst
• Margaret Pyne, Henniker
• Lawrence Reardon, Portsmouth
• Jon Reeves, Center Ossipee
• Ann Remus, Bedford
• Jeffrey Richard, Thornton
• Todd Rissel, Newmarket
• Martha Robie, Allenstown
• Peter Rossbach, New Castle
• Peter Runstadler, Hanover
• Ryan Russman, Portsmouth
• Peta Ryan, Nashua
• Peter Schwab, New Castle
• Elizabeth Sides, Hopkinton
• Mark Silberman, Strafford
• Claudia Simard, Hanover
• James Smith, Milton Mills
• Terri Spence, Milford
• Roger Stephenson, Stratham
• Peter Sullivan, Manchester
• Janice Jodoin, Nashua
• Scott Swanson, Auburn
• R.E. Tapply, Merrimack
• Bill Tidd, Alton Bay
• Wendy Tillson, Gilford
• Raquel Tomic-Beard, Merrimack
• Joseph Tringali, Nashua
• Cythnia Vienneau, Hudson
• Nancy Weeks, Bedford
• James Zuckerman, New Castle

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Editor's note: I was employed at WKXL between 2004 and 2007, holding the positions of radio journalist, program director, and station manager.

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