In a Democratic Party attack ad targeting Kelly Ayotte, Rick Russman looks into the camera and says, “I was a Republican for more than 50 years, and I can’t vote for Kelly Ayotte.”
Instead, the former GOP state senator says, he’s backing Democrat Joyce Craig for governor.
If Russman’s pitch sounds familiar, it should. He’s the same “50-year Republican” who threw his support to Democrat U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen in 2020.
And Democrat Chris Pappas in 2018.
And Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016.
And Democrat Barack Obama in 2012.
And he’s been backing Democrat Maggie Hassan since 2004 and her race for state Senate against Russell Prescott. (Prescott took the seat by defeating Russman in the GOP primary two years earlier. Coincidence… or something more?)
In fact, Russman’s been a “Republicans for [insert Democrat name here]” so long, he wrote Shaheen a $1,000 check in 2002 during her failed attempt to oust moderate Republican U.S. Sen. John E. Sununu.
But now, Russman says, Ayotte has gone too far for him to remain a loyal Republican.
“I have voted for Kelly Ayotte in the past, but I just can’t support her this time.”
Republican communications professional Alicia Preston Xanthopoulos says this “Republican” label has passed its sell-by date.
“It doesn’t matter how you are registered: If you have supported Democrats for more than two cycles, you probably aren’t a Republican. And if you have supported Democrats for more than two decades, you definitely aren’t a Republican,” Xanthopoulos said.
Russman’s not alone. His anti-Ayotte ad also features Donna McQuade who, like Russman, says she’s a longtime Republican who just can’t bring herself to back Ayotte.
“She is not true to herself, she is not true to women,” McQuade says in the ad.
Interestingly, in 2020, McQuade starred in another video ad, this time “Republicans for Shaheen.”
“I am a lifelong registered Republican. I am supporting Sen. Shaheen,” McQuade says in the spot.
She also touts the fact that she’s an Obamacare recipient and urges other Republicans receiving the federal subsidy to join her in supporting Shaheen.
And that’s not all.
In 2018, McQuade starred in yet another ad, this one from Democratic congressional candidate Chris Pappas.
“Enough with the partisan stuff,” she tells Pappas as the camera rolls. “We need to work together to get things done.”
The “partisan stuff” also hasn’t stopped McQuade from donating to ActBlue, the Democratic Party donation site, since at least 2017.
Russman’s made many donations to Democrats as well, giving more than $2,000 to Hassan’s campaign against Ayotte in 2016.
“Asking Democrat donors to pretend they’re Republicans for an ad would be shocking were it not for Joyce Craig’s well-established track record of lying to voters,” said Kolin Crompton with the Republican Governors Association. “Craig’s flailing campaign is clearly desperate to cover up her abysmal record in Manchester and her dangerous agenda of higher taxes for New Hampshire – even if they have to make it up as they go.”
The Harris for President campaign has also announced a “Republicans” committee, led by James Steiner of Concord. Echoing Rick Russman, Steiner lost a GOP primary in the Second Congressional District, and since then has become a frequent fan of Democrats running for office in New Hampshire.
A Democratic campaign website run by the state party’s former communications director calls Steiner a “prominent figure in New Hampshire politics.” But he’s endorsed Democrats in nearly every cycle for at least a decade.
In 2022, Steiner endorsed Sen. Hassan. In 2014 and 2020, he backed Sen. Shaheen.” In 2016? “Republicans for Hillary.”
One Republican who appears to be making a truly bipartisan effort is Steiner’s “Republicans for Harris” co-chair, Claira Monier. She supported Republican Nikki Haley in this year’s First in the Nation presidential primary and is backing Republican Kelly Ayotte for governor, even as she supports Harris for president.
But most of the aisle crossers appear to be the true definition of RINOs. Actual “Republicans In Name Only.”
Russman told NHJournal he “makes no apologies” for his many votes on behalf of Democrats. He’s registered undeclared, “but I still believe in the Republican philosophy of smaller government and lower taxes and that kind of stuff.”
Russman said his issue with GOP candidates has to do with their embrace of pro-life policies and rejection of green environmentalism. In 2010, for example, he supported Ayotte in the GOP U.S. Senate primary over Ovide Lamontagne because of the latter’s social conservatism.
Republicans note the GOP has been a pro-life party since 1980 and “Drill, Baby, Drill” is hardly a new Republican policy stance.
Asked if he voted for Ayotte in the 2010 general election when she defeated U.S. Rep. Paul Hodes (D), Russman said he couldn’t remember.
Like Russman, McQuade was quick to point out she’s now a registered “undeclared” voter. She blamed Donald Trump and his impact on the party for her departure.
“I was a Republican from the day I turned 18, but Donald Trump changed all that,” McQuade told NHJournal. “Since then, I’ve lent my name to any Democrat who thought I could do them some good.”
“My goal is to help right the ship of the Republican Party” in the wake of the influence of Trump, McQuade added. Asked if she saw backing Democrats like Craig and Pappas as part of that process,” McQuade said “Oh, absolutely.”
But that reasoning doesn’t appear to apply to “Republicans” who’ve been publicly endorsing Democrats for a decade or more.
How much influence are “Republicans” who’ve endorsed Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton in the past likely to have today? One New Hampshire Republican activist who knows Steiner and Russman told NHJournal, not much.
“They were useless when they were supporting Republicans,” the activist said. “Why should it be any different when they’re against us?”
