Former state party chair Chris Ager sent a message to Granite State Republicans on Tuesday challenging the legality of new state party chair Paul Callaghan’s election by the Executive Committee, claiming it is under “legal review.”
And, Ager added, if an election for chairman is held at Saturday’s GOP state committee meeting, he wants his old job back.
But supporters of Callaghan, a former two-term mayor of Rochester, say Ager has the facts wrong and question why he is attempting to divide the party as it faces a tough midterm election later this year.
“Paul Callaghan is the chairman of the NHGOP,” said state Rep. Joe Sweeney. “Any challenge to that fact only helps the Democrats and divides our party at a time when we should be united.”
Callaghan was elected with the endorsement of Gov. Kelly Ayotte, who told committee members, “Paul understands what it takes to win, and he’s exactly what our party needs as we head into November.”
In his message to state committee members, Ager claims “the legality of the ‘election’ of a chairman to replace Jim MacEachern at the emergency NHGOP Executive Board meeting of Jan. 12 is in question and being reviewed. I believe this vote was wrong and that the state committee should elect a replacement chairman.
“Depending on the outcome of this legal review, there may (and in my opinion should) be an election for chairman by the State Republican Committee at the annual meeting on Jan. 24.”
Reached by NHJournal late Tuesday, Ager said, “We simply want a fair election, not an anointment. The body whose job it is to choose a chairman is the state committee. I trust the state committee members.”
However, Ager acknowledged he misspoke regarding a “legal review,” saying instead that people with expertise in the process are reviewing Callaghan’s election and the state committee’s potential role in taking up the matter.
“I am not suing the party and I never would, under any circumstances,” Ager said.
One person who has reviewed the matter is RNC national committeeman and legal counsel to the New Hampshire Republican State Committee, Bill O’Brien.
After Ager’s message went out, O’Brien sent committee members a letter “addressing the rumors circulating about the election of Chairman Paul Callaghan.”
The letter recounts the unusual events earlier this month when, under a cloud of scandal, MacEachern resigned the chairmanship. Then-Vice Chair Scott Maltzie announced he was passing on the chairman’s job.
“The Executive Committee then followed the bylaws and held an election to fill the vacancy,” O’Brien wrote. “Three candidates were nominated for the position. Paul Callaghan received a supermajority of the votes and was named chairman of the committee.”
One of those three candidates, according to multiple sources, was Chris Ager.
According to O’Brien, party rules gave the Executive Committee the power to fill the vacant chairmanship, and he refuted Ager’s claim that its actions are under review.
“There is no formal legal review underway. The RNC Membership Committee is reviewing the election because one of the other individuals nominated for the position filed a complaint. This complaint is fully politically motivated, meritless, unsupported by fact or bylaw reference, and has no standing within the operations of the state committee.”
Ager disagrees and says he believes the rules allow the state committee to call a new election on Saturday.
“I’m writing to let you know that if there is an election for chairman, I am willing to once again take on the role and would appreciate your vote,” Ager said in his message.
Some Republicans have expressed concerns to NHJournal, on background, about the process used to pick Callaghan and say they support Ager’s efforts.
“The party ‘leaders’ who pulled this BS are no better than the DEMs who anointed Kamala Harris,” one GOP House member said. “I hope NHJournal will be there to cover what is going to be another amazing sh*t show created by these arrogant politicians.”
But most Republicans who spoke to NHJournal expressed frustration with Ager’s actions at a time when the party faces an uphill fight in November’s midterms.
“Like the majority of you, I joined the New Hampshire Republican State Committee with one goal: to elect Republicans,” O’Brien wrote.
“Some of us want to spend our time directing the Titanic away from the icebergs. Others want to argue over who commands the lifeboats. We don’t need to wreck our party. We don’t need arguments over lifeboat command. We simply need to move forward.”