It’s been 23 years since New Hampshire went red in a presidential election, but 2024 could be a turning point. Gov. Chris Sununu (R) says Republicans may scoop up New Hampshire’s four Electoral College votes on the heels of President Joe Biden’s play for the primary that the governor claims has left a bad taste in voters’ mouths.
Biden has spent the summer angling to move the first primary election to South Carolina, and New Hampshire isn’t having it. Gov. Sununu said, “The president has insulted the Democrats of this state,” and made it clear they were “going first, no matter what.”
Voters are onto Joe Biden and recognize his maneuver as part of a political agenda to shore up minority votes. They’re offended, and they’re not going quietly into the night, which may speak to the Granite State’s free-thinking population. New Hampshire has hosted the first presidential primary since 1920 and has no intentions of turning away from tradition or law.
Gov. Sununu was poised to run for president but did an about-face in June. Doubling down on those efforts, he announced in July that he wouldn’t run for another gubernatorial term either.
Dynasty haters rejoiced but many in New Hampshire worry his exit could leave the door wide open to Democrats. The four-term governor doesn’t seem to share their concerns.
Long touted as a live-free-or-die paradise, New Hampshire has lived up to its motto over the last two years. Passing a number of bills that make stereotypically red states look mild, New Hampshire citizens aren’t likely to boast about their success the way Floridians and Montanans might.
A closer look reveals a new law prohibiting the suspension of civil liberties during a state of emergency. Another law protects people from discrimination based on vaccination status.
The Granite State won’t be sharing vaccination data with the federal government either, nor enforcing federal orders restricting Second Amendment rights — and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Chris Sununu, New Hampshire governor, signs ‘medical freedom’ law against COVID-19 vaccines https://t.co/BLdHRua0Wi
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) July 29, 2021
Is this red wave of legislation a testament to how New Hampshire has recently reshaped itself? Often viewed as an island in the blue sea of liberal New England, it’s possible New Hampshire has garnered a more conservative population in the post-Covid era.
From free stater Libertarians, to always Trumpers, to classical liberals, battleground New Hampshire could provide the swing votes that turn the White House red again next year.
