Freshman Rep. Paul Hodes (D) looks like he might get a tough re-election challenge after all. One Republican has announced he will run for his party’s nomination, while others have expressed serious interest in challenging Hodes.

Marine Col. Rick Perkins (R) is looking at the race, according to the New Hampshire Union Leader, which first reported his interest last week.

Concord Attorney Jim Steiner (R) already has announced his candidacy, while state Sen. Bob Clegg (R) and Grant Bosse, an aide to Sen. John Sununu (R), are said to be considering bids as well.

“As the local elections last Tuesday proved, Republican candidates can win in New Hampshire if they run on the issues of lower taxes and smaller government,” National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Ken Spain said. “So far, Paul Hodes has accumulated an abysmal tax-and-spend record that shows he is nothing of the sort.”

The Granite State’s 2nd Congressional district is widely considered to be more Democratic than the 1st, which also is represented by a freshman Democrat, Rep. Carol Shea-Porter. It gave Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) 52 percent of the vote in the 2004 White House election.
— Shira Toeplitz

Anti-Union Coalition Sends Pro-Sununu Mail

Correction Appended

A piece of direct mail hailing Sen. John Sununu (R) for his vote on labor issues is due to hit New Hampshire mailboxes today. Sponsored by the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace, the mailer applauds Sununu for “standing up to the powerful Union lobby and working to protect your privacy.”

The Coalition represents a group of 500 organizations that came together to to fight the Employee Free Choice Act, according to its consultant. The piece of mail lauds Sununu for voting against “card checking,” which gives workers the option to check a card saying whether they would like to unionize. The bill passed the House earlier this year but did not get out of the Senate.

“Sen. Sununu was a champion for protecting the secret ballot for workers,” said Rob Stutzman, a consultant for the coalition. “And the coalition believes it’s important to publicly thank Senators who stood up for privacy rights for workers.”

The brochure is scheduled to hit 30,000 New Hampshire mailboxes today and directs recipients to contact Sununu’s government office in New Hampshire to thank him for his support.

Stutzman said his group has no connection to Sununu’s re-election campaign, however the first-term Senator is heading towards a tough battle to hold his seat. Former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen (D) is challenging Sununu.
— Shira Toeplitz

Correction: Nov. 13, 2007

The article mischaracterized the status of the Employee Free Choice Act. Although it passed in the House, there was never a final vote in the Senate.