DiLorenzo Pits Working-Class Roots Against Shaheen's Political Pedigree In 1st Congressional District Race

By Michael Graham, NH Journal

In a political moment that pits populism against insider elites, Republican Anthony DiLorenzo wants voters to know which side he’s on.

In the latest NHJournal podcast, DiLorenzo repeatedly reminded voters that while he had to work his way up to business success, his opponent, Stefany Shaheen, is the daughter of U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and has lived the life of a political elite.

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• PODCAST: DiLorenzo Pits Working-Class Roots vs. Shaheen’s ‘Coattails’ in NH01 Race
  

“This election is primarily about somebody that’s been working their entire life in the private sector, bringing business leadership to Congress against somebody that’s been riding their parents’ coattails their entire life,” he said.

“I got my first job when I was eight years old. I’ve been working ever since,” DiLorenzo said.

And Stefany Shaheen?

“I don’t think she’s ever received a job that wasn’t because of her mother’s influence,” DiLorenzo said. “Not only is that wrong — some people would call it corrupt — but why would you elect somebody like that?”

It is the “nepo baby” argument, though DiLorenzo never used that phrase.

During the primary, Democrat Maura Sullivan hit Shaheen on the same issue, featuring a voter in an ad saying, “Stefany’s the kind of person who was born on third base…and thinks she hit a triple. I want a fighter, not a fancy last name.”

Shaheen isn’t helped by the fact that her only previous elected offices are at the municipal level, and her most recent job was as “chief strategy officer” for Dean Kamen’s Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute, or ARMI, which received millions in federal funding with her mother’s support.

Shaheen’s campaign biography also highlights her role as co-founder of the health care company Good Measures, her medical research advocacy and her service chairing the Portsmouth Police Commission.

NHPR reported in August that Stefany Shaheen earned more than $120,000 annually in a multiyear consulting role with ARMI, according to tax records. It also reported that her mother supported the federally funded project and had said hiring her daughter was Kamen’s decision.

While Sen. Shaheen’s support for ARMI’s funding is documented, the younger Shaheen has denied discussing ARMI funding with her mother and says federal dollars did not pay for her work.

“I was never paid with federal funding. I raised philanthropic money to support specific research projects,” she told The Dartmouth in April.

Asked by NHJournal to identify the projects supported by her philanthropic fundraising and the sources of that funding, Shaheen declined to respond.

DiLorenzo says the choice between the two candidates is clear.

“I’ve been in the private sector, balancing budgets, dealing with health care. I’ve actually worked in the housing industry. I’ve got the experience to take on the problems that face us,” he said.

He favors expanded natural gas pipeline capacity and developing small modular nuclear reactors to address energy costs. On health care, he advocates more competition and price transparency, contrasting that approach with Shaheen’s support for Medicare for All.

But he also acknowledged a political obstacle his résumé cannot erase: voter anger at President Donald Trump.

“There is a lot of animosity in regards to the president,” DiLorenzo said.

He argued voters should focus on the candidates seeking to represent New Hampshire. And on the Iran conflict, he called for bringing American forces home while seeking an international coalition to protect shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

“I think we need to end the conflict. Come home,” he said.

When polls showed Shaheen trailing Sullivan in the Democratic primary, the longtime moderate suddenly shifted left, amping up anti-Israel rhetoric and embracing the most extreme version of Medicare for All. Under Shaheen’s single-payer system, there would be no private insurance.

Asked if that would be a political winner for Shaheen, DiLorenzo said New Hampshire doesn’t want a government-run system.

“Government-run healthcare has not worked. Talk to people from Canada or from Italy, who have to wait six months to see a doctor,” DiLorenzo said.

“Margaret Thatcher said it the best: Socialism is great until the money runs out.”

This story was originally published by the NH Journal, an online news publication dedicated to providing fair, unbiased reporting on, and analysis of, political news of interest to New Hampshire. For more stories from the NH Journal, visit NHJournal.com.