Forrester: I Will be a Governor for the People of NH

The following is the gubernatorial announcement speech made by state Sen. Jeanie Forrester, R-Meredith, this week which has been submitted to Patch for publication.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share with you a little bit about who I am, what I stand for, and why I’ve decided to run for Governor.

I’m a real conservative with real experience. And I think that’s an important distinction in the upcoming race.

I come from a blue collar background and I know what it’s like for working families. My dad worked for Ford Tractor, my mom was a waitress. We didn’t have a lot growing up. And my mom sure knew how to stretch a dollar. I remember one Christmas it was homemade clothes and Pop Tarts. But looking back it was one the happiest Christmases I’ve had.

My first dream in life was to be the first in my family to graduate college. And my parents were very supportive but they told me I was going to have to do it on my own because they couldn’t afford it. So my first job was a secretary at a local steel mill. I worked during the day and took college courses at night. Eventually I earned a college degree and I can tell you there were no two prouder parents in the room the day I graduated.

Today, my husband Keith and I live in Meredith, where we own a small environmental technology company.

Over the years, I’ve been a director of two award-winning Main Street programs working with small businesses. I also worked as a town administrator for two local communities. And because of those experiences, I am a firm believer that all politics really is local.

I mentioned that I’m a real conservative. Let me tell you what I mean by that.

I believe in limited government and personal responsibility. I support the Second Amendment. And I believe we need to preserve and defend our Second Amendment rights. I also believe we must protect the life of the unborn child. Finally, I absolutely take the pledge against a sales or an income tax. Period.

I have strong convictions and Main Street values. When I ran for the Senate it was to be a voice for our communities. And I’m proud to say that’s exactly what I’ve been.

One of the first votes I cast was 23 to 1. And I was that one vote. Against Democrats and Republicans I said no when everyone else said yes because I heard from the communities that the issue would hurt them. And believe me there was pressure to fall in line. But I stood my ground.

As Governor, whenever the politicians go after our communities I’m going to stand with the people 100 percent of the time.

I also went toe-to-toe with the establishment to protect private property rights on the issue of the Northern Pass. Incredibly, I was told by another Senator that the energy lobbyists were more powerful than the Senate and that I should give up the fight. But I refused because I knew it was the right thing to do. And finally the Senate agreed and we passed a law to protect private property.

As Governor, whenever the lobbyists go after our communities, I’m going to side with the people 100 percent of the time.

More recently, I fought the Governor when she tried to steal millions of dollars from the nursing homes to balance her budget. I said no! It was a long fight but I was able to prevail. And we returned all the funds back to the nursing homes.

When I become your Governor, I’ll break from the past and chart a new course for New Hampshire. I will be a Governor for the People.

No longer will we be the energy doormat for the New England states. We will create an energy policy that reduces our electric rates. And finally puts ratepayers first.

The government bureaucracy in Concord grows stronger and stronger every year. I’ve spent much of my life helping to grow communities and local economies. It’s time to take power away from Concord. We need to reduce the burdensome regulations and remove the obstacles that prevent our small businesses from expanding in New Hampshire. I will be a Governor who empowers our communities and stops the overreach of state government.

Finally, I think it’s time to get to the root of the heroin and opioid epidemic in New Hampshire. I’ve been working on this issue for years; long before any of the politicians in Concord woke up to the crisis. My firsthand experience on the issue of drug and alcohol abuse is fundamentally different from the politicians in this race. That’s because for five years I worked at Odyssey House; a residential treatment home for teens struggling with addiction. During those days I saw the pain in their eyes and the emptiness in their hearts as they tried to get their life back on course before it was too late.

I realized then the seriousness of addiction. And I knew then that our state needed to do more. Years later when I was able to affect change I led the charge in the Senate to stop the outrageous raid on the drug and alcohol fund. While we should be proud of the progress we’ve made. There’s much more work to do.

Now is the time to stand up for parents like Judy Tilton. I’m blessed to have my friend Judy here tonight. Judy lost her 21 year old son Seth last year to this terrible epidemic. Judy, I grieved with you then and I grieve with you now. And this grief is being experienced every single day by other parents throughout the state.

Well, as Governor, here’s what I’m going to do about this unacceptable situation: First - I’ll beef up early prevention programs. Prevention education needs to happen early and often. We need to make it as second nature for kids to stay off drugs as it is to buckle up for safety. Second, I’ll implement a statewide tip line. If you give us information that leads to the arrest and conviction of a drug dealer, New Hampshire will give you a $5,000 cash reward. And third, if drug dealers sell in New Hampshire and that person dies of an overdose, then the drug dealer will be tried for murder. And if convicted they will face life in prison without parole.

Know this, drug dealers: Under a Forrester administration there will be zero tolerance. We’re going to lock you up. And we’re going to throw away the key.

What I’ve outlined here is not all inclusive. Certainly there’s more that can and should be done in our state to chart a new course. Over the next several months, I’ll be meeting with business owners, community leaders, and others to have a conversation about the future of our state.

Now some of you might be wondering how I’ll run a winning campaign. I’m here to tell you this. I will run a full-bore, grass roots effort. Republicans have lost 9 out of the last 10 elections for Governor because we keep putting up the same type of candidate. We can’t keep doing that and expect different results. And let me tell you something. All of the other candidates in this primary can talk the talk. Well, I’m only one who has walked the walk. With the right candidate Republicans can win this race. And by the way, I am the right candidate.

I won’t be campaigning for money on K Street in Washington like some others. I’ll campaign on the Main Streets across New Hampshire. I want to be a Governor for the People. I’ve got a great finance team. They’re excited and committed to raising the funds we need to win this race.

I’m respectfully asking for your help, your support, and your vote. Talk to your families, friend, neighbors and colleagues. Get them involved in our campaign.

I’m Jeanie Forrester and I’m running for Governor.