CD 2 Race Getting Little Attention

398 nat sound under …(Hi, I just wanted to swing by and introduce myself I’m Jennifer Horn I’m running for Congress)
At this year’s Harvest Fest in Hudson, Republican Jennifer Horn stayed busy greeting as many voters as possible.
(littlenat)
Hudson is good territory for Horn.
It’s a Republican stronghold and lies right next to her hometown of Nashua …the most populated city in the district and where she’s spent years as a radio talk show host and newspaper columnist.
Her name recognition here helped her beat long-time lawmaker Bob Clegg in the Republican primary.
But Horn doesn’t have name recognition in other parts of the district – and she knows she can’t rely on it to win.
397 “2:10 you feel you have to look at the most populated areas, and you look at one town, does it lean Democratic, does it lean republican, and we understand that this is not about winning all the republican votes, it’s about winning the votes of the second district 2:25”
That’s especially true considering the district has become more Democratic over the years.
Dante Scala, an associate political science professor at the University of New Hampshire, says if Horn wants to win she has to persuade Democrats and Independents to vote for a conservative Republican.
(“Dante 8:44 unless McCain makes a big comeback in the next few weeks, Barack Obama will likely carry that district, even if he loses the state, he’ll likely carry the district because of its Democratic tilt so Jennifer Horn is going to have to hope for some crossover votes from those Obama supporters 9:03”)
Horn has launched two TV ads both to get her name out to other parts of the district…and to attack opponent Congressman Paul Hodes.
In this commercial, she points out the more than 140 thousand dollars Hodes has received from banking, mortgage, real estate, and insurance industries.
(Commercial 1 “In Congress, Paul Hodes oversees financial companies, but Paul Hodes took money from the mortgage and banking industries, instead of working to avoid this crisis”)
But those ads are overshadowed by the glut of commercials for other races…such as the heated race between Senator John Sununu and Jeanne Shaheen…and the first district rematch between Congresswoman Carol Shea Porter and Former Congressman Jeb Bradley.
Scala says it’s no surprise that the second district race is getting little attention.
1:28 with three weeks to go and the noise and volume increasing daily, that’s a real challenge too, for someone like Jennifer Horn for example just to get her name out there 1:36
Since Hodes has a political track record, Horn has gone on the attack…
“ 397 5:22 Paul Hodes in just two years in Congress, we have someone that has voted 98 percent of the time with party leadership somebody who has never once stood up and fought for anything has never distinguished himself on any issue”
Just two years ago, Hodes made the same complaint against then Congressman Charlie Bass.
And like Bass, Hodes is quick to say how he’s split with the Democratic Party on several house votes.
He points to his vote against the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, and a small business reauthorization bill.
And during a campaign stop at the Milford Pumpkin Festival, he pointed to his vote against the federal bailout bill as an example of how taking money from special interests doesn’t sway his vote.
415 414 if I was in the pocket of the mortgage industry, I wouldn’t have voted against the bailout, I wouldn’t have voted for tough new consumer protections on credit cards , tough regulations for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, I’m sure Horn will say all kinds of things but my integrity speaks for itself and the voters will decide 4:38
Hodes has the incumbent advantage of big money and name recognition.
He’s spent much of his campaign trying to keep the race positive and touting his service to constituents.
But at the Pumpkin festival at least, he didn’t need to tout…residents came to him instead.
(thanks for having a spine…good luck in November.. oh thank you)
That’s a couple from Francestown…talking about Hodes’ vote against the bailout.
Independent Eric Rasmussen says he plans on voting for Hodes this year because of that.
(Standing up against the economic stimulus package that they were trying to pass recently which was just pork barrel for the rich basically..stuff like that)
Many voters are upset and angry over the bailout. Had Hodes voted for it, political analysts say that would have played well for Jennifer Horn.
Regardless, the bailout and all its ramifications is sure to come up in their next debate.
For NHPR news, I’m Amy Quinton.