Reps, Community Leaders Back Feltes in State Senate Race

When former state Senate President Sylvia Larsen decided not to run for re-election (even though the state party told everyone that she would be running) and then openly endorsed a successor, Concord School Board candidate Kass Ardinger, it created a lot of bad blood and emotionality in some of the city’s Democratic circles. 

That emotionality seemed to only get worse as Larsen defended her choice and said she wasn’t attempting to eliminate or limit primary participation, even though most connected politicos saw things differently. 

Things in the city only seemed to get worse after Ardinger was reportedly quoted in the Concord Monitor saying, “It’s unfortunate that some people felt that tension, but I’m not apologizing for that, because I have nothing to apologize for.”

So is anyone really surprised attorney Dan Feltes, the other candidate running in the Democratic primary scheduled for Sept. 9, has been able to quickly put together a long slate of powerful political endorsements that includes some of the disgruntled potential candidates who didn't have enough time to organize a state Senate run?

The first major endorsement came on Monday, when Colin Van Ostern, the Executive Councilor that serves all four communities in the state Senate district – Concord, Henniker, Hopkinton, and Warner – backed Feltes. 

Today, the campaign listed more than 100 community activists, a literal who’s who of the city’s politirati, who will be helping him win the primary.

The endorsees listed on June 25, include former U.S. Rep. Paul Hodes, outgoing Hopkinton state Rep. Gary Richardson, and attorneys Jay Surdukowski and Andru Volinsky, all potential candidates for the seat who shied away from running.

Also endorsing Feltes today was former state Sen. Mary Louise Hancock, considered the “Queen Bee” of New Hampshire politics, and the first woman to be elected to the seat.

Feltes was also endorsed this morning by state Rep. Jim MacKay, state Rep. Christy Dolat Bartlett, state Rep. June Frazer, and city councilors Fred Keach, Byron Champlin, and Rob Werner, all of Concord.

Other elected officials in the district backing Feltes included state Rep. Barbara French of Henniker, state Rep. Clyde Carson of Warner, and Sara Persechino and Ken Traum of the Hopkinton Board of Selectmen.

Former state party chairman and Health & Human Services Commissioner Ned Helms and radio talk show host Arnie Arnesen are also backing Feltes.

“I am honored to have the support of such a broad coalition of community leaders and activists from across the district,” Feltes said in a statement, “and I look forward to working with them to advocate for opportunity for all citizens.”

Others endorsing Feltes include: Mark Ciborowski, Lucy Karl, Sally Helms, Kristyn Van Ostern, BobbySegal, Deborah Butler, Michelline Dufort, Liz Purdy, Karen Hicks, David Parker, Gerri and Ron King, Chia-Huei Parker, Terry Parker, Jim Rosenberg, Shannon Rosenberg, Carol and Dr. Merwyn Bagan, Jayme and Laura Simoes, Ben Kelley, KarinaKelley, John Tobin, Barbara Keshen, Irvin D. Gordon, Hilary Thomson, Tom Fredenburg, Charles Albano, Christopher G. Aslin, Rachel Goldwasser, Jonathan M. Eck, Matthew Elliott, Samantha Elliott, Matt Flanders, Laura and Mark Beaudoin, Jack Ruderman, Jen Benjamin, Gilles and Reagan Bissonette, Donna Brown, Heather M. Burns, Amy Currie, Esther Dickinson, Clara and Rob Dietel, Ruth and Steve Cherry, Don Crandlemire, Asa Dustin, Brian Foley, Dr. Christopher Gentchos, Janet Gentchos, Bill Christie, Cinde Warmington, Emma Sisti, Jeremy G. Clemans, Erin Corcoran, Susan Covert, Chris Graham, Cheryl Bourassa, Lisa M. Hall, Lindsay Hanson, Anna Hazen, Celina Hurley, Laura Simon and Tom Irwin, Rob Lanney, Terri Boyce Lareau, Jonathan Lax, Rebecca and Steven Whitley, Amy Messer, Matt and Tracey Cairns, Al and Pat Cantor, Susanne Smith Meyer, James Monahan, Huck Montgomery, Patricia Murphy, Linda Saunders Paquette, Kate Vaughn, Michael S. Lewis, Leah Plunkett, Greg Silverman, Mitchell Simon, Mike Skibbie, Brian Quirk, Fiona Quirk, Karen Ryan, Caitlin and Ned Sackman, Michael Sartorelli, Dr. L. Eric Schlepphorst, Jessica Durkis-Stokes, Eric Paulson, Bryan Pellerin, Sarah Mattson, Kayla McCarthy, Karen McNamara, and Anthony Mento.

Following along with all the Campaign 2014 posts and stories in the Patch Elections section.