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The five GOP candidates running for the chance to take on Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas this fall took to the stage Thursday night, sparring over election integrity, abortion, and foreign policy. 

The crowded conservative field of Karoline Leavitt, Matt Mowers, Gail Huff Brown, Tim Baxter, and Russell Prescott largely agree on the issues.  But that didn’t stop Huff Brown from going on the attack first.

In answering a question on abortion considering the U. S. Supreme Court decision in the Dobbs case, which gives the authority back to states, Huff Brown targeted Leavitt and accused her of not being pro-life. Leavitt has just answered that she supports New Hampshire’s 24-week ban on abortion.

(CREDIT: Alan Glassman)

“You can’t be pro-life and support the law in New Hampshire,” Huff Brown said.

“I am pro-life, and I do support the law in New Hampshire,” Leavitt responded, before turning the tables. “So, what are you?”

Huff Brown declined to answer.

Huff Brown also went after Mowers over voting twice during the 2016 presidential primaries, once in New Hampshire and again later in New Jersey.

“We need to talk about election integrity. We have one person up here who voted twice. That’s not election integrity,” she said.

Mowers hit back, saying an investigation by New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella cleared him of any wrongdoing and accused Huff Brown of using Democratic talking points.

“Gail, that’s just silly stuff. I know you’re new to this state, maybe you didn’t know the rules,” Mowers said.

The candidates again disagreed on aid to Ukraine, with Mowers and Prescott coming out in full favor of helping Ukraine fight Russia’s invasion, though both said the money needs to be accounted for.

“We should absolutely support Ukraine, but we need to verify the money is actually going to the crisis,” Prescott said.

Leavitt and Baxter opposed sending money to Ukraine. Huff Brown was unclear on her position.

Former President Donald Trump loomed large in the debate, as both Mowers and Leavitt worked for his administration. Mowers touted his position in the State Department while Leavitt made frequent mention of her job in the White House Press Office. Huff Brown also claimed to have worked for Trump. Her husband, former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown, served as Trump’s ambassador to New Zealand.

None of the candidates were willing to say outright that President Joe Biden won the 2020 election. Baxter cited the debunked conspiracy theory movie “2,000 Mules” and said all the individual state elections need to be audited. The other candidates said there needs to be a review or audit of the election process. It was Leavitt who went furthest, saying Biden was not elected in 2020.

“The 2020 election was stolen and there is no way Joe Biden legitimately won 81 million votes,” she said.

The audience at the event hall at the Saint Anselm Institute for Politics was full of campaign aides, as well as supporters, friends, and family of the candidates. Linda Chard came out to support Baxter, saying he has the youth, energy, and ideals needed to win.

“One hundred percent because of his proven, conservative voting record,” Chard said.

Chard would not commit to a second choice if Baxter does not win the primary, saying she is not impressed with the other candidates.

State Sen. Bill Gannon (R-Sandown) came out to support Mowers, who he sees as the best conservative to win.

“Matt is young, energetic, has great ideas, and has experience in Washington,” Gannon said.

Gannon was impressed with the overall slate on the debate stage, saying he could support Huff Brown or Prescott as second choices, but he was disappointed in their answer on the 2020 election.

“I was unhappy that no one would say Joe Biden got the most votes,” Gannon said.

Playing into election conspiracy theories will only hurt Republicans in the fall, Gannon said. While he voted for Trump, Gannon said the former president did lose the election and it is now time for the GOP to move on.

Scott Brown said all the candidates put in a good effort Thursday night.

“They all did really well, everyone up there is qualified,” Brown said.

He took exception, however, to Mowers’ jab at his wife, implying that she recently moved to New Hampshire.

“She’s been a property owner and taxpayer in New Hampshire for 30 years, almost as long as he’s been alive. He’s been here what? Four months?”

Scott Brown said Prescott is his second choice.

“He’s just a good guy,” he said.

The debate can be streamed on NH Journal’s Facebook page.  

Keene Mayor George Hansel has yet to announce his candidacy in New Hampshire’s Second Congressional District race, and he has already been targeted by a political dirty trick.

The Keene Sentinel ran a story on Sunday declaring, “Keene Mayor George Hansel announces run for Congress.” It was based on “a tweet from his new campaign account.” The paper did not speak to Hansel.

Less than 24 hours later, the Sentinel pulled the report and posted a correction: “A story written by The Sentinel and posted on our website Sunday evening claiming that Keene Mayor George Hansel would be running for the N.H. Congressional District 2 seat, currently held by longtime Democratic U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster, has been removed.”

The account, @Hansel4Congress, became active in just the past few days and it followed news outlets like NHJournal. Its few posts featured anti-Trump and pro-abortion messages likely to hurt a candidate’s efforts in a Republican primary, a sign that it was a political dirty trick. Sources familiar with the account tell NHJournal it was created by a Republican who opposes a Hansel candidacy.

On Monday, the account had been suspended by Twitter.

Hansel’s actual Twitter account had no mention of a potential congressional bid as of Monday afternoon. However, the Federal Election Commission reports the “George Hansel for Congress” committee was formally created on Friday, May 27. The treasurer is listed as David Hansel.

Republican insiders have been buzzing for weeks about the possibility Hansel might challenge Democrat Kuster, particularly since businessman Jeff Cozzens dropped out of the GOP primary in April. With polls showing President Joe Biden’s approval rating below 40 percent — and Kuster not doing much better — Republicans believe a 2022 wave could be big enough to bring down the five-term incumbent, despite her $2.4 million war chest.

After the GOP’s surprising successes in the 2021 election cycle, the National Republican Congressional Committee put Kuster on its expanded target list.

Hansel did not respond to multiple requests for comment about the FEC filing. He was first elected mayor of Keene in 2019 and had easy re-election in November, facing no serious challengers. Before becoming mayor of the left-leaning college community, Hansel was a two-term city councilor. He is currently vice president and manager of innovation/engineering and Keene’s Filtrine Manufacturing Company, a business founded by his uncle, Peter Hansel.

Because the lines of New Hampshire’s new congressional districts have yet to be finalized for November’s election, political analysts at organizations like the Cook Political Report have not released their view of the Second District’s midterm prospects. No Republican presidential candidate has won in the district this century, and the last Republican to represent the district was Rep. Charlie Bass, who won in the 2010 red wave midterm.

Hansel positioned himself as fiscally responsible in his first term as mayor. He pushed for an economic development action plan for the city and the creation of a home weatherization/renovation program for Keene’s eastside homes through a public/private partnership, according to his campaign. He also lobbied for the adoption of RSA 79E that allows Keene businesses to take advantage of New Hampshire’s development incentives.

He has also supported the Black Lives Matter movement and maintained a local mask mandate after the state order expired — positions likely to be problematic in a GOP primary.

Already in the race are Bob Burns and Lily Tang Williams.

As the New Hampshire Legislature wraps up its session this month, the rest of the year will see more election activity — specifically, with Republicans who want to run for the U.S. House of Representatives. It’s expected that Democratic U.S. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter in the 1st Congressional District and U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster in the 2nd Congressional District will seek reelection, leaving the field wide open for the GOP to try to defeat them.

Eddie Edwards, former law enforcement professional and chief of N.H. Liquor Commission’s enforcement and licensing division, is the only declared candidate in either district to say he is running for Congress. He announced his candidacy for the 1st District U.S. House seat in April. He said Shea-Porter is “outside of the mainstream of New Hampshire politics.”

The 1st Congressional District seat has always been a competitive race. Since 2010, the seat has flipped back and forth in every election between Shea-Porter and former Republican U.S. Rep. Frank Guinta. Guinta has kept a low public profile since his defeat in 2016, so it’s increasingly unlikely that he would run against Shea-Porter again for an unprecedented fifth matchup. The 1st District also voted for President Donald Trump in the presidential election, yet political analysts have indicated that Shea-Porter holds an advantage in the district, moving the 2018 race from “toss up” to “tilt Democratic.”

Eddie Edwards at Laconia Harley-Davidson (Photo Credit: Edwards for New Hampshire Facebook page)

Edwards said that during the campaign he will be “traveling throughout the district, listening to voters, and offering my vision for positive solutions to bring new jobs to New Hampshire, cut taxes and reduce the size of government, strengthen national security and provide for our veterans, reduce the burden of student loan debt, and fight the opioid epidemic.”

He has been racking up several endorsements since he announced, so the early announcement has definitely moved some people into his corner, but several others are still expected to enter the race. Besides Edwards, here’s a look at the top three Republican candidates in each district that are currently mulling a bid to be the Granite State’s next U.S. representative:

1st Congressional District:

State Sen. Andy Sanborn, R-Bedford (Photo Credit: N.H. Senate)

State Sen. Andy Sanborn, R-Bedford

Sanborn has reportedly been exploring a run for the past few months. It’s expected that he would make his decision after June. The fourth-term senator is the chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee where he has put his strong fiscal conservatism on public display.

In fact, the timing of a recent fundraising email has some GOP activists wondering if an announcement is imminent. During a committee meeting in May, he voted against his fellow Republicans on general fund revenue estimates for the biennium state budget.

His colleagues voted to go with higher revenue estimates, but Sanborn voted against them saying they were too high. Sure enough, after the meeting, he blasted out a fundraising email from his “Andy Sanborn for State Senate” campaign about what just happened.

“As you would expect, my tax-loving elected friends spent hours trying to artificially raise the estimates of what the state will bring in, all so they can spend more of your money,” he wrote. “I am happy to report that, with the thanks to some fellow like-minded senators, we were able to fight off fanciful attempts to drive up more bloated government spending without raising a single tax or fee.”

If Sanborn decides to run, he couldn’t use the funds from his state Senate campaign, but it does keep his public profile high.

Matt Mayberry (Photo Credit: Facebook)

Former State Republican Party Vice Chairman Matt Mayberry

Mayberry, of Dover, has also indicated that he is close to making a decision if he’ll run against Shea-Porter. Apparently, he’s been strongly considering a run for Congress since he decided not to run for chairman of the New Hampshire Republican Party after Gov. Chris Sununu endorsed former state Sen. Jeanie Forrester for the position.

Mayberry has remained active in the New Hampshire political scene since he left his job as NHGOP vice chairman. He is one of the founder and co-vice chairs of the New Hampshire Log Cabin Republicans, which officially launched in the state last month.

The 1st District U.S. House race is often seen as swing district, so perhaps his moderate Republican values can appeal to independents in the area. Regardless, he’s inching closer to a run since he reportedly was making the rounds in Washington, D.C. last week.

“I’ve been approached and talked with about 100 grassroots activists so far. And they’re hungry for real leadership. They want real visibility in their communities. They want somebody who’s actually going to work for them,” he told NH1 News in May. “What Carol Shea-Porter’s done is she’s come in, asked for their vote, gone to D.C. and never come back. She appears every two years. They want somebody who’s going to work for them.”

State Rep. John Burt, R-Goffstown (Photo Credit: N.H. House)

State Rep. John Burt, R-Goffstown

The fourth term representative is a well-known figure in the N.H. House — mostly because of his Annual Hot Dog Day on June 1 where lawmakers and staff members meet on the State House plaza to eat hot dogs and raise money for animal shelters and humane societies.

But he’s also seriously considering a run for the 1st Congressional District seat and said he would make a decision at the end of June.

Burt is one of the most conservative members of the Legislature, scoring a 92 on last year’s Americans for Prosperity-New Hampshire legislative scorecard. However, if he decides against a campaign for Congress in 2018, he might challenge longtime state Sen. Lou D’Allesandro, D-Manchester, for his seat.

D’Allesandro has served nearly 20 years in the state Senate. Before that he spent 25 years serving in the N.H. House and on the Executive Council.

“I’m still talking with some people in D.C. and of course with a lot of groups in New Hampshire,” Burt told WMUR. “Many of the New Hampshire groups are asking me to stay where I am and run for the state House or the state Senate, believing I would be more effective here than in Washington. I’m looking at all my options.”

2nd Congressional District:

The National Republican Congressional Committee has their work cut out for them to defeat Kuster. The incumbent Democrat has been in office since 2013 and GOP candidates in the district haven’t been able to drum up enough support.

In the 2016 election, former Republican state Rep. Jim Lawrence did surprisingly well against Kuster despite spending significantly less than her. She won by less than 5 percent of the vote, 50-45 percent. The NRCC is hoping to capitalize on that and recruit a strong candidate in the district.

State Rep. Steve Negron, R-Nashua (Photo Credit: N.H. House)

State Rep. Steve Negron, R-Nashua

The first term state representative told WMUR last week that he’s been seriously considering a run for the 2nd District U.S. House seat for many weeks and will make a decision by the end of June.

Negron is the president and CEO of Integron LLC, a New Hampshire engineering firm, and is a retired U.S. Air Force officer.

“I had actually been approached by some people I hold in high regard in the state and in Washington, asking me if I would be interested in taking an opportunity to see if running against Rep. Kuster would be something I’d be interested in,” he said.

Negron describes himself as a fiscal conservative and he currently sits on the House Election Law Committee, which has seen a lot of action during this legislative cycle with the GOP-led voting reform.

Joe Sweeney (Photo Courtesy of Joe Sweeney)

Former State Rep. Joe Sweeney, R-Salem

The two-term state representative is also the former chair for the New Hampshire Young Republicans. He first entered the Legislature in 2012 and continued when he was a student at the University of New Hampshire.

He previously indicated on WMUR’s CloseUP in April that he was looking into a run for Congress and what he lacks in experience due to his age, he makes up for in new ideas and new leadership.

Sweeney has already registered a candidate committee with the secretary of state’s office for the Rockingham District 8 seat.

Lynne Blankenbeker (Photo Credit: LinkedIn)

Former State Rep. Lynne Blankenbeker, R-Concord

This potential candidate is one of the most talked about within inner state GOP circles. Blankenbeker won a special election in 2009 in a heavily Democratic Concord seat and served in 2012. She’s also an active member of the military, where she has recently been promoted as a captain in the U.S. Navy. She has served in Iraq and Afghanistan as a combat nurse, is a former nurse and risk management specialist at Dartmouth-Hitchcock, and is an attorney.

With those impressive credentials, GOP campaign consultants are heavily encouraging her to give Kuster a run for her money. She’s expected to finish up her time in the military in January and they’re hopeful she’ll hop into the 2nd Congressional District race then.

Blankenbeker recently delivered a speech to the New Hampshire Federation of Republican Women, one of the state’s most prominent Republican groups, at its annual Lilac Luncheon on June 2 at the Grappone Conference Center in Concord.

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The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is sending mixed signals about U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster. They must believe the Democratic representative from New Hampshire’s 2nd Congressional District can hold on to her seat next year because they named her chair of the Frontline Program, which provides congressional candidates with extra fundraising and campaign infrastructure support. However, they also listed her as one of the 19 initial candidates for the program.

DCCC Chairman Ben Ray Luján announced the 19 members for the 2017-2018 Frontline Program on Monday. The roster is about half of freshman members. Eight of the candidates won in districts that President Donald Trump carried in November, and all of them, except for one, are listed on the National Republican Congressional Committee initial targets list.

Seven of the members on this year’s list were also on the DCCC’s initial 2016 Frontline list, but they have a good track record, because out of the 12 Frontline members on the 2016 list, only one candidate lost and that was Nebraska Rep. Brad Ashford.

“Each of these Democrats knows how to win tough races — proven by their success in a difficult national environment in 2016,” Luján said in a statement.

The DCCC announced in February that Kuster would chair the vulnerable incumbents program, which is her first time at the helm. This is Kuster’s third term in Congress, and she’s been elected in the more Democratic-leaning district of New Hampshire, which includes cities like Nashua and Concord. The DCCC should be confident she can deliver a fourth term. Inside Elections by Roll Call is ranking the 2nd Congressional District as a “currently safe Democrat.”

Despite being chair of the Frontline Program, she is also one of the vulnerable incumbents that is expected to receive DCCC assistance in the 2018 midterm elections. Of course, the list can change over time and she could be removed if it looks like she doesn’t have a serious Republican challenger.

Yet, previous chairs of the program were not also on the list of vulnerable incumbents. For example, for the 2015-2016 Frontline Program, Michigan Rep. Dan Kildee was chair, but he was not a candidate on the list. In the 2013-2014 program, Minnesota Rep. Tim Walz was chair, but not considered a vulnerable candidate for that election cycle. He was a previous member of the program for the 2011-2012 program under the leadership of Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who was also not listed as a vulnerable incumbent when she chaired it.

It could make sense for a previously vulnerable incumbent to chair the program since they could bring the knowledge and experience the knowledge and experience with them to share with other representatives across the country, but it is still an interesting choice to have Kuster chair the Frontline Program, while also listing her as a vulnerable incumbent.

“The Frontline Program will help these members again build strong campaigns, maximize resources and take advantage of the energy from the grassroots, so that they can continue to fight on behalf of the hardworking people in their districts,” Luján added.

Kuster enters the 2018 midterms with a decent amount in the bank, approximately $1 million, actually. The median amount of cash on hand that lawmakers who won their races in 2016 have is about $367,000, or about $361,000 for House candidates, putting Kuster well above the average.

However, Kuster spent nearly $2.2 million against Republican challenger Jim Lawrence. He spent less than $100,000, yet, Kuster only defeated Lawrence by 5 percent, 50-45 percent, respectively, with Libertarian John Babiarz receiving 5 percent. Perhaps, that close winning percentage in a relatively safe Democratic district is why she is listed in the incumbent protection program.

Democrats need to gain 24 seats to take control of the House, which is expected to be a difficult task for Democrats in 2018. Even though it’s a midterm election and the incumbent party of the White House tends to lose seats, midterms also don’t favor Democrats when voter turnout is less favorable for them, making protecting their incumbents a high priority.

However, Democrats are also on the offensive in 2018, hoping to capitalize on any anti-Trump voters. In their target list, they narrowed in on 59 GOP-held seats, focusing on districts that Hillary Clinton carried or that were narrowly won by Trump. Twenty-three Republican lawmakers come from Clinton districts, which is almost the number of seats Democrats need to win in order to get a House majority.

In turn, the National Republican Congressional Committee identified 36 Democratic incumbents, including Kuster, for the midterms, with approximately one-third of their targets coming from districts Trump won. Yet, several of those members were not identified on the initial Frontline roster. The NRCC has also named 10 members to its incumbent protection program, who mostly come from districts Clinton won.

U.S. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter is also a candidate for the DCCC’s Frontline Program, which is expected for anyone running in New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District. The NRCC also listed Shea-Porter as one of its incumbents on its target list for 2018. Inside Elections ranks it as one of five “purely toss-up” seats for 2018. Shea-Porter defeated former Republican Rep. Frank Guinta, but it’s been a back-and-forth contest between the two candidates for the last six years.

Shea-Porter enters the 2018 midterms with less of an advantage than Kuster — money-wise at least. She only has approximately $3,800 in the bank after a tight race between Guinta and Independent candidate Shawn O’Connor. Out of the 435 representatives in the House, Shea-Porter has the fifth lowest cash on hand total.

Even though the election is more than a year away, the political attacks are already happening.

“It’s a no-brainer to choose Annie Kuster as the leader of the DCCC’s Frontline Program since she can draw on her own embarrassing political blunders as examples of what not to do,” said NRCC spokesman Chris Pack in a statement to NH Journal. “Rest assured, the NRCC is aggressively working to recruit viable candidates in both Granite State congressional seats to hold Annie Kuster and Carol Shea-Porter accountable for their blind hyper-partnership.”

The NRCC points to 2013 when Kuster was late paying for her property taxes. It came up during her 2014 reelection campaign against Republican Marilinda Garcia as an example of one of her “embarrassing political blunders” during her term, and when it appeared that she couldn’t answer a question about the Benghazi attacks or know that the Libyan-city was in the Middle East.

The DCCC did not respond to a request for comment from NH Journal on NRCC’s statement. Kuster’s office also did not respond to a request for comment.

The NRCC is hoping to recruit strong candidates for New Hampshire’s Congressional districts, with the hopes that it will knock Kuster and Shea-Porter out of their seats.

Earlier this week, the NRCC blasted Shea-Porter for sending a press release condemning the the GOP’s replacement for Obamacare quickly after it was released to the public.

“That means Carol started immediately complaining instead of fully digesting the bill, sleeping on it, getting input from her constituents, speaking to advocacy groups, health care experts, etc,” Pack wrote in a NRCC blog post. “But this should come as no surprise since Carol has always put knee-jerk partisan politics ahead of actual legislating. Maybe that’s why Granite State voters have repeatedly shown buyer’s remorse by booting her out of office on multiple occasions.”

When asked for a comment about the NRCC’s statements, Shea-Porter’s office referred to the same press release she sent out when the GOP’s plan was released.

“House Republicans should be ashamed of their new bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which would hurt New Hampshire workers and families by ending Medicaid expansion, driving up premiums, leaving fewer people with coverage than before the law passed, and setting us back in the fight against the heroin, fentanyl, and opioid epidemic,” she said in her statement.

Although no candidates have officially declared their intent to run against Kuster or Shea-Porter, there are several Republicans who have indicated they are interested in potentially challenging them for their seat.

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It’s never too early to be thinking about the 2018 midterm elections. For the incumbent party in the White House, it usually means losing seats. However, Republicans are poised to retain control of the House and Senate, barring any major catastrophe, which would give Democrats the advantage.

In New Hampshire, it could mean tough races for Democratic incumbent Reps. Carol Shea-Porter and Annie Kuster, and their final campaign finance filings for the 2016 election cycle can provide clues on what to expect for their reelection campaigns.

Assuming they run again for their seats, Kuster and Shea-Porter enter the 2018 contests with a significant difference between them in their total cash on hand.

Shea-Porter only has approximately $3,800 in the bank as a result of a tough election against former Republican Rep. Frank Guinta and Independent candidate Shawn O’Connor. Out of the 435 representatives in the House, she has the fifth lowest cash on hand total.

Kuster, on the other hand, sits modestly with just over $1 million stashed away.

The median amount that lawmakers who won their races in 2016 have in the bank is about $367,000, according to the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP), a nonpartisan research group tracking money and lobbying in elections. Specifically for House candidates, it’s about $361,000.

Of course, for party leaders they have the biggest war chests since they are expected to raise money to help their colleagues. House Speaker Paul Ryan had the highest cash on hand in the House with $9.1 million.

“The typical pattern is that campaigns that are in tough reelections or open seat battles will almost never have any money left,” said Caleb Burns, a partner at Wiley Rein LLP, to the CRP. “But conversely, the opposite is also true, where members of Congress have extraordinarily safe seats and don’t feel the pressure of having to raise a lot of money.”

That’s especially true for New Hampshire’s representatives. Kuster was assumed to have a relatively safe seat in the Granite State’s 2nd Congressional District, while Shea-Porter in the 1st Congressional District was always going to have a tough time ousting Guinta.

So what does this mean going into next year’s race?

Well, it shouldn’t come as a surprise, but the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) included Shea-Porter and Kuster in their initial 36-member target list.

Kuster spent nearly $2.2 million against Republican challenger Jim Lawrence. He spent less than $100,000, and yet, Kuster only defeated Lawrence by 5 percent, 50-45 percent, respectively, with Libertarian John Babiarz receiving 5 percent. The NRCC figures that if they can recruit a decent candidate and put a little money into the race, they could have a chance at ousting Kuster.

For Shea-Porter, the 1st Congressional District is always a toss up, mostly because it’s been a Shea-Porter versus Guinta contest every two years since 2010. The NRCC and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee usually throw a decent amount of funds toward the district’s candidates. It also helps the NRCC that Shea-Porter has been kicked out by voters before and she defeated Guinta in a crowded field. She won by a margin of 162,080 to 156,176, while independents O’Connor and Brendan Kelly and Libertarian Robert Lombardo garnered a total of 46,316 votes among them, possibly to the detriment of Guinta.

However, Republicans swept the 1st District in every other federal race. Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton by about 6,000 votes, former Sen. Kelly Ayotte beat Sen. Maggie Hassan also by about 6,000 votes, and Gov. Chris Sununu defeated former Executive Councilor Colin Van Ostern by about 18,000 votes. With the right candidate, the NRCC believes they can flip the district again.

Any ideas on who’s going to run against Shea-Porter or Kuster?

As recently as Wednesday, one Republican has indicated that he’s “seriously” interested in challenging Shea-Porter in the 1st District.

John Burt, a four-term New Hampshire House member from Goffstown, told WMUR that he has spoken with conservatives throughout the state and region about running for Congress. He said he hopes to make a final decision in the coming weeks.

“I have no doubt that I can beat Carol Shea-Porter,” he said. “In 2018, it’s going to be another 2010-type sweep of Republicans heading to D.C. and also to the New Hampshire State House.”

Other Republicans being talked about as possible candidates include state Sen. Andy Sanborn from Bedford and former state commissioner of the Department of Health and Human Services John Stephen, who is also a former gubernatorial and congressional candidate.

Don’t be surprised if Guinta makes another run for the seat he lost. Neither Shea-Porter nor Guinta ruled out running again in 2018 if they lost.

Earlier this month, the DCCC made Kuster the chair of its “Frontline” incumbent retention program, which gives special attention to vulnerable Democratic incumbents, so they must feel confident that she can win again in 2018.

However, former state Rep. Joe Sweeney of Salem previously told WMUR that he is “in the very early portion of exploring a run” for the 2nd District against Kuster.

“I firmly believe that Congresswoman Kuster does not adequately represent the district, and her performance and voting record presents a winnable path,” he said.

Senate President Chuck Morse could also be a potential candidate. The Salem senator is listed on the National Governors Association’s website as a former governor of New Hampshire. He served as acting governor for two days from January 3 to 5, when former Gov. Hassan resigned early to be sworn in as U.S. Senator. The New Hampshire Union Leader sees him as an option for Republican Party operatives still looking for a candidate.

Voters shouldn’t rule out seeing the two Republican frontrunners from the 2nd District GOP primary on the ballot either. Former House Majority Leader Jack Flanagan from Brookline indicated that he was hearing from supporters to run again in 2018. He lost the GOP primary to Lawrence by about 5,000 votes. Also, with Lawrence’s close finish to Kuster in the general election, he heard calls from supporters to consider yet another run. If he did, this would be his third congressional bid in six years.

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