WASHINGTON — New Hampshire Republicans are having a stunningly bad month so far, fueled by candidates’ histories of criminal charges and investigations, a murder conviction, and damning discriminatory allegations. Just this month alone:
- Reports surfaced that GOP candidate Mark Edgington is a convicted murderer who served eight years in Florida prison for beating and strangling a motel manager. Edington is notably the only candidate in the GOP primary with the backing of Republican House Majority Leader Jason Osborne, reported to be a long-time friend who has promised to help get Edgington elected.
- Reporting continued on the extreme homophobic, racist, and sexist remarks that came to light earlier this year from Rep. Jon Stone. What’s worse? These remarks were made while he was a police officer. Stone threatened a violent shooting spree against his fellow police officers and threatened to rape the chief’s wife and kill his children – findings that ended his career in law enforcement. Stone has been the subject of at least 14 internal affairs investigations, yet continues to represent Claremont in the New Hampshire House, ironically serving on the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee.
- Rep. Jeffrey Greeson resigned earlier this month after being arrested for assaulting a snow plow driver back in March. He allegedly took a swipe at the driver and hailed profanities at him – all of which was caught on tape. It was a less than amicable encounter for the pastor and then-state representative, and he was charged with criminal threatening, assault, and disorderly conduct.
These episodes of violence and intimidation clearly aren’t isolated incidents – it’s par for the course and a dangerous sign of what the New Hampshire Republican party has become as the GOP majorities in the state legislature continue to push an increasingly extreme agenda out of touch with Granite State voters. Democrats are just a handful of seats away from breaking the Republican trifecta – flipping the New Hampshire House is a top priority for the DLCC this cycle, as part of our expansive target map to build Democratic power across the country.
Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee Interim Communications Director Sam Paisley issued the following statement:
“It should go without saying that a murder conviction should disqualify a candidate for legislative office, but New Hampshire Republicans are turning a blind eye in order to keep themselves in power. This growing trend of violent behavior and criminality cannot be ignored, especially as New Hampshire Republicans use the slimmest of majorities to pass an extreme MAGA agenda out of step with New Hampshire voters. Until New Hampshire Republicans clean up their act and hold their candidates to a higher standard of conduct, they have no business running the legislature. Granite Staters deserve elected leaders committed to upholding our laws – the DLCC is all hands on deck to elect Democrats who can check the dangerous New Hampshire GOP trifecta.”
The DLCC is the official arm of the Democratic Party with the sole mission of building Democratic power in the states and setting the national agenda at the state level. Over the last decade, we have fought cycle-over-cycle to gain a dozen new legislative chamber majorities and we are leading the effort to bring national attention and investment to our ballot level. State legislatures are the building blocks of our democracy and have the closest connections to Americans’ day-to-day lives. From protecting fundamental freedoms and voting rights to growing the middle class, the DLCC and state legislators are moving the Democratic agenda forward and shaping the future of this country.
###
