Mr. Smith Comes to Concord

At a fundraiser for two Republican state senators earlier this week, Kevin Smith, a candidate for governor, mingled with conservative activists and others in a search for votes in what is becoming a growing field of candidates running for the corner office.

Over pulled pork plates, chips, and stuffed mushrooms in the upstairs function room at The Draft on South Main Street, Smith was quite at home with other political powerbrokers attending like state Senate President Peter Bragdon, R-Milford, and lobbyists like Jim Demers, a Democrat strategist.

Smith shook hands, smiled, and even grabbed a bit to eat while talking about this campaign.

“Things are going very well in the campaign,” he said. “I’ve been out to all areas of the state during the last three and half months … I’m getting all over and I really think my message is resonating.”

Smith said voters seem to be looking for someone with a specific plan on how to turn the economy around and create jobs in New Hampshire. He said in order to accomplish the task, he would focus on lowering the corporate tax rates, like the business profits and enterprise taxes, eliminating onerous regulations on small businesses, and approving right-to-work legislation.

‘We need to stop taxing businesses that aren’t making a profit,” he said. “We do that through the (business enterprise tax) … it’s the same as a payroll income tax.”

Smith said the small business engine was being choked by regulations. He cited a recent article about the Red Hook Brewery that noted how much better the business would be doing with less regulation on the process of brewing.

Smith also said he would work on retaining younger workers and residents in the state of New Hampshire by connecting businesses and entrepreneurs with universities and community colleges. He noted that students come to New Hampshire, get educated, and then leave, taking all their skills and ideas to other places.

“We’ve got to keep our young people here,” he said. “The only way we’re going to do that is if they know there is going to be a good, high-paying job here waiting for them after they graduate from school.”

Smith said he believed he was the only candidate in the race who was involved in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. A former state representative, Smith said he would also work on bringing more jobs into New Hampshire from Massachusetts and other surrounding states.

Most people know Smith from his time as executive director of Cornerstone Policy Research, a conservative think tank that focuses on social issues including traditional marriage, honoring pro-life leaders, and preserving family values. In about two years there, Smith said he was able to “mainstream” the organization by quadrupling its membership and building up the organizations finances. While he has focused on social issues in the past, Smith said his governor’s race would be about jobs and the economy, which were the most pressing for helping families.

“You can’t have too many priorities,” he said. “That’s why my focus is on jobs and the economy. I think people are tired of rhetoric and platitudes. People want to see actual plans on how you’re going to attract jobs and make us a more business-friendly state … and that’s what I’m going to do.”

If elected, Smith could be one of the youngest people ever elected governor. At 34, he’s certainly the youngest in a field that is starting to get busy.

Currently, Manchester attorney Ovide Lamontagne is running on the Republican side and Hampton businessman Steve Kenda is exploring a run. On the Democratic side, former state Senators Jackie Cilley and Maggie Hassan are currently running.