NASHUA, NH – On Saturday many Democratic Party politicians, activists, and supporters gathered for the opening of a Biden-Harris campaign office in downtown Nashua. In addition to state legislators, alderman, and candidates in attendance, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar ( D-MN) came to Nashua for the event.
Ward 8 Alderman and chair of the Nashua Democratic committee Derek Thibeault began the event by welcoming the crowd and thanking Senator Klobuchar for attending despite Congress being in the middle of “some tough votes “ this weekend. He was the first in the lineup of officials to speak
Thibault was followed by State Representative Laura Telerski, chairman of the Democratic House Victory Committee, whose district includes Ward 8 in Nashua. After acknowledging the many state reps and candidates in the room she described the issues most prevalent for Democrats in this year’s campaign, citizens’ concerns with the cost of living, the reduction of reproductive rights, and protecting democracy.
“They have the right to choose when and if they become a parent and they also want to know that we’re protecting our democracy and that January 6th never happens again,” Telerski said.
She emphasized the goal of gaining seats in the state house this year and how the Democratic party in New Hampshire is coordinating resources and efforts to win races “from the top to the bottom,” including the White House, the Statehouse, and local government offices.
Deputy Democratic Leader Sen. Cindy Rosenwald (D-Nashua) was brief and to the point going after “the extremist MAGA Republican agenda of taking away our freedom, attacking our economy, and attacking reproductive rights.”
The message from Senate Democratic leader Sen. Donna M. Soucy (D-Manchester) was that the Democrats in the state are unified in their commitment to re-electing the Biden-Harris ticket and expanding the number of democratic officeholders statewide.
She began with a description of the concerns involved in this election cycle.
“So many of the issues we’ve been talking about boil down to just a few things, right, people want the ability to decide if and when they’re going to have a family, how they’re going to raise them, make sure they’re well-educated, and make sure they have opportunities to succeed in whatever field they choose, right it’s that fundamental”
She expressed confidence in the state Democratic Party’s readiness for the challenges in the months ahead.
“From Pelham to Pittsburg democrats are energized partly because of the write-in-Biden effort which was from the grassroots,” Soucy said. She also commented on the strategic value of the presidential election year on results. “Although you can vote from the bottom up, the top makes a really big difference and helps a lot of us get elected throughout the state.”
Senator Klobauchur made an energetic speech, despite being in Leader Chuck Schumers’s Senate office late into the night before working out the details of the foreign aid votes with the Senate’s top leaders (including Sen. Hassan and Sen. Shaheen), followed by a late flight and a short night’s sleep.
Before jumping into the political conversation about the campaign she addressed the priority for her and the Biden administration for getting aid funding for Ukraine that is pending in Congress.
“Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have stood up for the democracy in the United States of America but also stood up against tyrants for Ukraine and there can’t be anything right now if we just let them down and let Vladimir Putin March right into Kyiv; he’s just gonna keep marching so it’s really important that we’re finally moving on this and the President has shown all the kind of leadership that we need to get this done,” Klobuchar said.
From there she moved on to the status of the races, she reflected on her experiences in the Granite State as a candidate, and greeted familiar faces in the gathered crowd.
She also presented her view about the stakes of this election.
“The choice in this election could not be more clear. It is about someone we can keep as President, that can build on what he has done and has the trust of the American people. Personally, I do not want to go back to the chaos of Donald Trump. I do not want to wake up every Saturday morning and see some mean-spirited tweet attacking or X, whatever it is, attacking and targeting people who are in goodwill trying to do their job,” she said.
At times humorous and lighthearted she became somber when she reflected on her experience on January 6th. She spent the last 5 minutes of her time at the gathering providing a moment-by-moment heartfelt description of the experience that engrossed the audience. Although distressed by the experience she said it fuels her motivation and determination to win the White House again.
With multiple campaign offices already operating around the state, 30 full-time staffers, and a commitment of resources from the campaign NH Democrats stand poised to join her in that goal.
DAN SPLAINE – Photographer/Contributor
Nashua native Dan Splaine is a commercial photographer who creates images for businesses. A strong belief in the value of local independent journalism, his Nashua roots, and his extensive background in photojournalism make contributing to the NASHUA INK LINK a natural choice.
After working in dozens of countries and throughout the US on assignments Dan will happily go local and turn his lens to capture lives and living in the Gate City. You can see his work and learn about his photography services and workshops by going to his website.
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