CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - New Hampshire’s Executive Council - a political body that does much of its work outside of the spotlight - is poised to face new scrutiny as the 2016 election nears.
For the first time in recent memory, two sitting councilors are running for governor: Republican Chris Sununu of Newfields and Democrat Colin Van Ostern. Gov. Maggie Hassan, meanwhile, is running for U.S. Senate.
The five-member body charged with approving gubernatorial nominations and approving large state contracts typically attracts past legislators who aren’t seeking any higher office. But that’s beginning to change. Executive councilor is the first political office for both Van Ostern and Sununu.
“I think what inclines people to run for the council now is moving into a higher position,” said Beverly Hollingworth, a former Democratic councilor and Senate president.
The state parties and outside groups have already pounced on politically charged council votes on Planned Parenthood funding and judicial nominees. Next year, the council will take up contracts related to Medicaid expansion and will likely be asked to confirm a new nominee for commissioner of the Department of Health and Human Services, two issues likely to inspire political posturing.
Both Sununu and Van Ostern said the gubernatorial bids don’t influence their work on the council.
“We are there to serve in a role as executive councilors, it has nothing to do with future political aspirations,” Sununu said. “I’m very opinionated on things, as are the Democrats, so that’s going to come out. You can always claim it’s political. After all we are politicians, right?”
Sununu’s critics said he acted against his constituents earlier this year when he voted against state funding for Planned Parenthood, before he declared for governor. He’s previously backed funding for the organization, but this year he cited a controversy over the organization’s fetal tissue donation program as reason to vote against it.
He faced pushback again this month when he voted against one of Hassan’s six judicial nominees who had wide backing from the law enforcement and legal communities. Sununu said Dorothy Graham’s background as a public defender wouldn’t make her a well-rounded judge. The state Democratic Party continues to slam Sununu for his vote but he defends his choice.
“If we were going to be political, we would have said no to all of them,” Sununu said.
Van Ostern also said he keeps politics out of his duties as councilor but knocked Republicans for being influenced by “out-of-state or special interest politics.”
He also notes that the council addresses topics that a governor will face.
“Many of the issues in the campaign will be a natural extension of issues that we’ve tackled on the council,” Van Ostern said.
Democratic Councilor Chris Pappas, who is not seeking higher office in 2016, said partisan issues sometimes come before the council, but he hopes to see politics largely stay out of the process.
“We have significant work ahead of us, and there’s simply no time to make political calculations,” Pappas said.
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