Marchand Launches 2018 Bid for NH Governor

PORTSMOUTH, NH — Last year, former Portsmouth Mayor Steve Marchand was one of the last of five to jump into the race for the Democratic nomination for governor. While the September 2018 primary for Democrats is more than 18 months away, the public affairs and strategic communications consultant isn’t making that mistake again – and appears to be the first Democrat officially preparing a run for the corner office next year.

“After watching Donald Trump's chaotic, unhinged brand of ‘leadership,’ we need to show what competent, optimistic, aspirational leadership can do,” he stated in an email to supporters this afternoon," he said in a statement. “And after watching Chris Sununu prioritize right-wing positions on privatizing public education, weakening unions, discouraging voter turnout, failing to lead on LGBTQ equality, and pushing tax cuts for a small number of large companies at the expense of everybody else, it's more clear to me than ever that New Hampshire deserves a governor who can make New Hampshire the best state in America to start a family and start a business.”

In 2016, Marchand placed a distant second in a five-way primary for the nomination with more than 18,000 votes, about 25.3 percent, behind nominee Colin Van Ostern, who won easily with about 52 percent of the vote. Mark Connolly came in third with just shy of 15,000 votes while libertarian-Democrats Ian Freeman and Derek Dextraze – who were blacked out of nearly every primary forum and debate – received less than 2 percent each. Van Ostern was bested by Sununu in the general election by more than 16,000 votes even though Democrats won both Congressional seats and the U.S. Senate seat back.

Marchand, before asking for donations to “chip in” to “get this campaign started off right,” laid out four key priorities for the state, including delivering “America’s best education outcomes” for kids, from pre-kindergarten to high school and college; support for small business and striving entrepreneurs; fixing roads, bridges, sewers, and the electric grid; and creating stability in the healthcare system.

“Why should businesses invest in New Hampshire, if New Hampshire won't invest in New Hampshire?,” he asked.

Marchand stated that he believed, behind his campaign, residents could make New Hampshire the best place in America to start and raise a family, and the best place to start and grow a business.

“We will aspire to be the example of what America, at our best, can be,” he added. “I’m fired up. Let’s do it!”

So far, the only other candidate considering a race for governor to challenge Sununu is Jilletta Jarvis, a financial sector employee and mom, who attempted to run as an indie in 2016. Jarvis will be running as a Libertarian Party of NH candidate in 2018.