Politics & Government

New Hampshire Kids Pick Trump, Sanders For President: FITN 2020

Plus: Steyer says climate change is No. 1 priority; candidates talk courts; Secretary of State predicts turnout; meet-and-greets; and more.

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​Eight candidates participated in what is believed to be the first forum ever focused solely on judicial issues such as access to abortion and Supreme Court nominees at NHTI in Concord Feb 8.
​Eight candidates participated in what is believed to be the first forum ever focused solely on judicial issues such as access to abortion and Supreme Court nominees at NHTI in Concord Feb 8. (Tony Schinella | Patch)

CONCORD, NH — Thousands of kindergarten to 12th grade students in New Hampshire voted in a mock election Feb. 5 and gave the incumbent and the insurgent democratic socialist from a neighboring state wins — but they also threw support to a Hanover High School social studies teacher. The NH Primary Student Mock Election, sponsored by New Hampshire Public Broadcasting Service, has been held every four years since 1996. For 2020, more than 4,000 students participated.

Twenty-nine percent of students choosing a Democrat ballot voted for U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-VT. Former South Bend IN Mayor Pete Buttigieg and entrepreneur Andrew Yang each received 19 percent. Billionaire businessman Tom Steyer received 9 percent while U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-HI, earned 8 percent of the student vote. U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-MA, got 6 percent, former Vice President Joe Biden came up with 3 percent, and U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar received 2 percent. Twenty-three other candidates, including write-ins, split the remaining 2 percent of the vote.

On the Republican side, President Donald Trump received 67 percent of the vote while William Murphy, a Hanover High School social studies teacher in his early 80s and decided to sign up to run in the GOP primary, received 12 percent of the vote. Murphy, according to a profile in the Valley News last year, said he didn't expect to win but hoped his campaign would be used as an example to his students to act when they feel strongly enough about something. Both Trump and Murphy bested former Mass. Gov. Bill Weld and former U.S. Rep. Joe Walsh, who dropped out of the race earlier this week, who both received 2 percent of the vote. Thirteen other candidates, as well as, write-ins split the remaining 16 percent.

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Students in New Hampshire, according to Susan Adams of NH PBS, have correctly predicted the winners in every election since the mock election started but one — the 2000 general election for president. In that race, students picked then-Vice President Al Gore by "a tiny margin," she said, over then-Gov. George W. Bush.

Bush won New Hampshire by around 7,200 votes in 2000.

Find out what's happening in Concordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

8 Talk Courts, Reproductive Rights

Eight candidates attended what is thought to be one of the first forums of its kind focused mainly on the judiciary and judgeships on the federal level as well as reproductive rights and other issues Saturday. Buttigieg, Yang, Steyer, Sanders, U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, D-CO, Klobuchar, Warren, and former Mass. Gov. Deval Patrick all spent about 30 minutes each being questioned at the Our Rights, Our Courts forum at NHTI, Concord's community college. Stephanie Ruhle of NBC News and MSNBC moderated the event along with Jen Bendery of HuffPost.

Turnout for the event, which was held in the gymnasium, was standing room only for most of the morning with organizers (Demand Justice, Center for Reproductive Rights, NARAL Pro-Choice America, and All* Above All Action Fund) deeming it a success.

"The Federal Courts and the Supreme Court have played a critical role in protecting women’s access to and decision-making about reproductive healthcare as a fundamental right under the U.S. Constitution and federal laws," said Nancy Northup, the president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights. "Indeed, this year, there are high-stakes cases before the Supreme Court concerning access to abortion care and insurance coverage for contraception. This is the first presidential forum to focus on the important role of the federal judiciary in the protection of our rights."

To watch the event, visit YouTube.com.

Steyer and Bennet were the only candidates willing to take questions from the press after participating in the forum.

Biden Jabs Buttigieg With Digital Ad ...

And The Mayor's Campaign Hits Back ...

"At this moment, the American people are crying out for something completely different from this classic Washington style of politics," said Chris Meagher, the national press secretary for the Pete for America campaign. "While Washington politics trivializes what goes on in communities like South Bend, South Bend residents who now have better jobs, rising income, and new life in their city don't think their lives are a Washington politician's punchline. Pete’s on the ground experience as mayor, turning around a Midwestern industrial city, is exactly why he is running for president. The Vice President’s decision to run this ad speaks more to where he currently stands in this race than it does about Pete’s perspective as a mayor and veteran."

Steyer Talks Climate Change

Steyer, at a climate town hall in Concord this week, called the state of climate and the environment to be an emergency and said it would be "priority No. 1" if he gets elected.

Not only was it the most pressing issue for the nation, and part of preserving the United States' position in the world, but working to solve the problem will be a lot of fun, too, he said.

Watch some of his comments below.

Looking To See The Candidates?

Here's the latest roundup of events from Patch news partner InDepthNH.org.

Gardner Predicts Turnout

Secretary of State of State Bill Gardner issued his turnout prediction for the primary Friday: 420,000. According to press reports, earlier this week, Gardner originally thought turnout would be around 500,000 but scaled back the prediction. Gardner said 292,000 of the ballots will be on the Democrat's side and 128,000 registered voters would be taking a GOP ballot. The turnout prediction is lower than previous cycles but, he said, would be the most votes cast in a primary when an incumbent was running for reelection.

Back in 2016, Gardner predicted 550,000 voters would cast ballots — a higher number than 2008. In the end, more than 538,000 voters cast ballots in the primary.

AFL-CIO Head Apologizes For Biden Endorsement

Glenn Brackett, the president of the New Hampshire AFL-CIO, recently made what he called a personal endorsement, "as a private citizen," backing Biden, something that he now regrets.

"Unfortunately, this endorsement is inconsistent with my duties and responsibilities as president of the New Hampshire AFL-CIO," he said in a press statement. "It was a mistake, as I overstepped my authority."

Brackett, in a press statement, wished all the candidates luck and added, regardless of who wins though, "it is imperative that working people get out and vote for the candidate that best supports our country's working families."

CAIR Reminds Muslims: Vote!

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, is reminding all eligible Muslim voters in the state to participate in the primary.

The election, according to Robert McCaw, the governmental affairs director of the org, "is too close to call" and every vote "could be the deciding factor." The org is asking voters to use the hashtag "#MuslimsVote on Twitter and if they encounter problems at the polls, they have a hotline voters can call for assistance: 202-488-8787.

Party When It's Over

Candidates have begun sharing where they plan on being on election night after the votes are counted.

Biden will be with his wife, Jill, will be in Nashua at the Radisson Hotel.

Klobuchar will be holding court at the Grappone Conference Center in Concord.

Previous #FITN2020 Coverage

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