Joe Kenney files to run against Gov. Lynch

CONCORD, N.H.—State Senator Joe Kenney officially enters the race for governor in New Hampshire on Wednesday, filing for the Republican primary at the Secretary of State's office.
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The three-term senator from Wakefield is the only Republican in the race to face Governor John Lynch in November. He says Lynch has led a spending spree in Concord that is setting the state up for an income or sales tax.

Kenney tosses his hat into the ring in the race for governor

LAKES REGION — There’s some local competition for Governor John Lynch in the next election, as District 3 Senator Joe Kenney revs up for a campaign for the governor’s seat this year.

Kenney recently spoke to Salmon Press about his upcoming campaign for governor as a Republican candidate. With 14 years in the state legislature, 28 years as a Marine, and his New Hampshire roots stretching from Wakefield, Kenney said he has the experience to become the next governor of New Hampshire.

The announcement of his candidacy has won him the endorsement of Senator Carl Johnson of Meredith, who endorsed him when the two met for a luncheon last month.

“The next governor needs experience and proven leadership,” said Kenney. “We’ve seen a governor who is hands-off and makes the legislature out to be the bad guys. We’ve had too many multimillionaire governors who don’t understand and know how New Hampshire operates, how to balance the budgets, to fend off special interests, and how to keep New Hampshire, New Hampshire.”

In particular, the phrase “Let’s keep New Hampshire, New Hampshire,” has become the motto of Kenney’s campaign. Kenney said that the social fabric of New Hampshire is changing, with things like the passage of civil unions this year.

As part of that, Kenney voiced support for preserving the state parks, and said he is a supporter of privatizing Cannon Mountain, and putting the revenue into the system - then increasing the amount of New Hampshire. For all the value that people place on the parks, Kenney said, there needs to be a bigger support system in place, relating the story of meeting a woman at Wentworth Lake, who was the only person there to supervise an area that saw more than 200 visitors. Fixing up their buildings and marketing them to out-of-state visitors would be a good move for the state, according to Kenney.

Such things also go handin-hand with the development of local infrastructure. The same day Kenney gave the interview, he worked with the Senate to sponsor a bill for the Gunstock Mountain bridge, allowing the bridge to be eligible for municipal funding through the bridge aid program, up to $500,000.

Despite his support of natural resources, Kenney said he stops short at supporting “special interests,” especially in a time where the state is facing a budget shortfall. Programs like the Land and Community Heritage Investment Program, which saw an increase in its state funding at Lynch‘s behest, should not be a priority in this time, according to Kenney.

“I support LCHIP, the problem is how to fund it,” Kenney said. “There are two possible approaches - LCHIP license plates and volunteer contributions. But when it is a regular contribution, and the governor gives $12 million, it’s not a priority.”

Among his other economic goals,Kenney said he would like to champion the introduction of a “PDA North” - like the Pemi Development A, Kenney said he would like to see a program like the PDA revitalizing the job industry in the North Country and Berlin. Such a program would develop a more solid infrastructure of business, to bring job seekers north.

As to his rival, the incumbent Lynch, Kenney isn’t shy about his views on Lynch’s achievements during his years as governor. Speaking to SB 539, a bill that some towns fear will reintroduce the concept of donor towns in New Hampshire, Kenney said that he didn’t feel the governor had stood up strongly enough to members of his own party who supported the bill, and didn‘t champion constitutional amendment CACR 34, which targets educational aid. Opponents of SB 539 championed CACR 34 as a possible fix if SB 539 passed.

“The Democratic Party ran over Lynch on the constitutional amendment,” said Kenney. “They threw him under the bus and then ran over him. He’s running out of parties to lead.”

Kenney also pointed out the Shoreline Protection Act and the Workman’s Comp law, calling them examples of situations where Lynch could have showed leadership and did not.