She may be the Democratic nominee for governor, but former Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig made quite a few cameo appearances at the New Hampshire GOP Unity Breakfast on Thursday.
Whether it was as the object of criticism from her Republican opponent Kelly Ayotte, or a replay of her cringy appearance on WMUR when she asked for a do-over during a live-to-tape interview, Craig was a frequent “guest” of the morning gathering at the Grappone Center in Concord.
“On the Saturday before the election, I was out campaigning with Gov. (Chris) Sununu, the New Hampshire guy,” said Republican gubernatorial nominee Ayotte. “Joyce Craig was out campaigning with the governor of Massachusetts. That’s the path she wants to take us down.”
The focus on Craig was just one indication of how focused New Hampshire Republicans are on holding the Corner Office, partly because it’s the major race they have the most realistic chance of winning. New England voters rarely send Republicans to Congress, a fact state GOP chair Chris Ager reminder the crowd of Thursday morning.
Ager displayed a graphic on overhead screens with the brutal math: Of the 33 U.S. House and Senate seats in the six New England states, Democrats hold 32. And only two of the six states have Republican governors.
“We live in a tough neighborhood,” Ager told the crowd.
But that didn’t stop the crowd from cheering congressional nominees Russell Prescott (NH-01) and Lily Tang Williams (NH-02).
The losing candidates in the three major races each took the stage before the winner, offering their endorsements. The one exception was Vikram Mansharamani, who was a no-show Thursday morning and hasn’t made any public statements about Tang Williams’ victory in the NH-02 GOP primary since Tuesday night.
In the NH-01 primary, Manchester Alderman Joe Kelly Levasseur told the crowd that running for office means making promises.
“And when you win, you’ve got to fulfill those promises. To my wife, she wanted a new house. ‘Of course, honey, I’ll get you in the house if I win.’ She wants to go to the Maldives. ‘You’ve got to go to the Maldives’ if I win. And I got to get that haircut I’ve been avoiding for about 10 years.
Russell Prescott (left) talks to a supporter at the NHGOP Unity Breakfast on September 12, 2024.
“So, I just want to say, ‘Thank you so much, Russell Prescott!'” Levasseur said to roars of laughter. “I’m gonna put some lipstick on and kiss that big bald head of his and hope it stays because he saved me a million dollars.”
Prescott was more serious in his remarks, pledging to work hard and to reach out to independents. “We need independents to win,” Prescott said.
Asked before the event about the state of the race, Prescott told NHJournal, “We’re going to run all the way for the next 55 days. We have to make sure that we’re united, and that’s what’s happening this morning.”
Tang Williams, who was born in Communist China but came to the U.S. as a child, received more standing ovations than any other speaker of the morning. She gave the Republicans in the room a high-energy message of embracing liberty and celebrating America.
“I was asked by a Democrat, ‘I like your story, but why are you running as Republican? They’re kind of racist.’ I said, ‘I don’t think so,’ and I won the primary — which shows Republicans are not racists!”
Tang Williams told her fellow Republicans she’s not worried about the fact that her opponent, longtime D.C. staffer Maggie Goodlander, has a massive financial advantage.
“I know my opponent has lots of money, but she has lived in swamp for too long. She just moved to Nashua a few months ago to run in the Democrat primary. She loves Joe Biden, and she embraced Kamala Harris. I think I’m going to have lots of fun in this race.”
Lily Tang Williams
Chuck Morse, the longtime state legislator who lost to Ayotte in the primary, received a huge outpouring of affection when he took the podium. Several speakers went out of their way to praise his service in the state Senate before he spoke.
“Running for governor is a humbling experience, but it’s also rewarding. I met so many new friends — well, obviously, not enough,” Morse quipped. He went on to pledge his support for Ayotte and the entire GOP ticket.
“I don’t agree with Kelly on everything, but I know she will keep New Hampshire on the right path.”
Sununu addressed the crowd and introduced Ayotte. He used part of his time to take on Craig and her record as mayor.
“I don’t know what she does,” Sununu said of Craig. “Seriously, I don’t know what she ever did for a living. I don’t know anything she’s ever managed. I do give Joyce Craig credit for just one success in life: She’s really good at getting elected in Manchester, then delivering absolutely nothing.
“Manchester is a great city with great people who had the absolutely worst leadership,” Sununu added.
When Ayotte addressed the crowd, she picked up where Sununu left off.
“Joyce Craig failed Manchester, not the other way around. We can’t let her fail New Hampshire the way she failed Manchester,” Ayotte said.
Craig and her supporters have accused Ayotte of dissing residents of the Queen City. Asked for a response, Ayotte told NHJournal the Democrats have it wrong.
“Manchester is a proud city. It’s a city that, unfortunately, Joyce Craig has failed, and they elected a new Republican mayor in Jay Ruais,” Ayotte said, “A mayor who’s working hard to deliver a brighter future for Manchester, and I look forward to partnering with him, because I believe in the city of Manchester and its people.”
