Most voters avoid primary elections. Only 1 in 7 vote in them. Maybe that is because both candidates in a primary may agree on most issues. But your primary choice is critical to the future of the state in two ways. First, which candidate is more likely to win in the general election? And second, who is more likely to actually accomplish your goals once elected?
Electability depends upon three main factors: How capable is the candidate of marketing him, or herself? How much time does the candidate have to put to campaigning? What do others say about this candidate?
In my own case, I’ve run marketing campaigns for decades. I know how to build name recognition, tell a compelling story, and move people to action. I am not formally employed, so I can put in the 70 hours a week I’ve been accustomed to throughout my career as an entrepreneur. The result is that my team and I have knocked on the doors of over 3,600 voters. And as for others’ experiences with me, I hope you’ll read at my website what colleagues who work with me say about me, but here is one example that proves my ability to attract votes from both parties:
“I have generally been a Republican my whole life but now see in Jeanne a Democrat that I can fully trust to do what she says and believe in without reservation. Jeanne is a true leader who I strongly believe we need in our legislature now.”
– Ed Juengst, Chair, Peterborough Selectboard
Accomplishing goals in Concord is challenging, but I intend to work across the aisle both with fellow legislators and with the agencies that run our government. I’ve been told by agency members that legislators distrust them and refuse to believe their reports. I will work with current Senate Minority Leader Jeff Woodburn to build collaboration and social connection between legislators and agencies so that we can run our government more effectively.
In addition, I’ve been told by sitting senators that my ability to speak the language of business will be invaluable to the Senate Democrats’ effectiveness in winning support across the aisle to advance policies that build a brighter future and a better bottom line for New Hampshire. Indeed, I try always to include in every list of my goals a description of how I will fund them. Without funding mechanisms, goals are just dreams.
Probably the best way to gauge a candidate’s effectiveness is to look at past accomplishments. If you feel that better-paying jobs are important, consider whether that person has ever hired the former high-school interns who worked for them? Have they paid good wages? Have they ever worked to attract young people to the region or a college to train them? If you care about education, consider whether the candidate has designed curricula, taught or served on the school board? If you care about the environment, see whether that person runs a non-profit devoted to climate change, sustainability and other concerns for the future of humankind. (And yes, I’ve done all of these things.)
Voting in primaries is important because who serves is important. Issues are only the start. Who can win in the general election and who can implement ideas once elected make the difference between the government you want and more of the same.
(Jeanne Dietsch, a candidate for Senate, lives in Peterborough.)