By PAULA TRACY, InDepthNH.org
CONCORD – A birthday party was held at the State House Executive Council Chamber Tuesday for a bill that made New Hampshire’s First-in-the-Nation primary 50 years ago.
House Bill 73, which reads that no state can go before New Hampshire in a primary election for president of the United States, was sponsored by former Democratic Rep. Jim Splaine, known as the “Keep Primary First” law.
It was signed by the late former Gov. Meldrim Thomson, a Republican.
His son Robb Thomson, and the former commissioner of the Department of Resources and Economic Development, spoke on his behalf and noted he was joined by some of the many children who would call him grandfather.
Attending and speaking was Splaine, who was a young legislator at the time the bill passed.
Also providing remarks were former Secretary of State Bill Gardner, former House Speaker George B. Roberts Jr., former Senator, State Representative and Executive Councilor Lou D’Allesandro, D-Manchester and former Republican National Committeeman and former State Rep. Steve Duprey.
Also rounding out the message were Senate President Sharon Carson and House Speaker Sherman Packard, both Republicans from Londonderry.
Gov. Kelly Ayotte, Republican governor, offered a proclamation and congressional messages were sent and read by staff of U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan, both Democrats.
Before they cut into the cake, Carson noted that the state celebrated the 100th anniversary a few years ago and the state will continue to fight to keep its foothold first going forward.
As other states began to covet the state’s role in helping pick nominees, she said the battle began.
“So 50 years ago the legislature mandated that New Hampshire’s primary be held at least a week before any similar contest and entrusted the Secretary of State to make sure that we stayed first in the nation. Thankfully, (former) Secretary of State Bill Gardner who is here today and now, Secretary of State Dave Scanlan have beaten back every challenge,” she said.
The most recent primary was threatened by a decision by the Democratic National Committee but the state held its primary anyway before other states.
It is expected to be threatened again in the next primary and coming years.
“The New Hampshire Primary isn’t just a point of pride or jolt of tourism in the middle of winter, it is the stronghold for retail politics and grassroot campaigns in a political landscape dominated by cable news and social media. Only in New Hampshire, you can be home on a Saturday and there is a knock on the door and when you open the door there is someone standing there who is saying, ‘I am so-and-so and I am running for the President of the United States. Do you have a few minutes because I’d like to talk to you about what’s important.'”
She said here, candidates have to earn their vote just as New Hampshire has to fight to keep its primacy every four years.
“For 50 years the legislature has fought to keep the Granite State the first-in-the-nation and we’re going to keep fighting,” Carson said.