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Bar News - October 18, 2002 Few Lawyers Among Legislative Hopefuls By: Dan Wise The following is a corrected version of the article published Oct. 18 in the print edition of Bar News. ONLY 26 NH LAWYERS are among the hundreds of candidates seeking seats in the 424-member New Hampshire Legislature this year. Although lawyers have not represented a significant presence in the Legislature in recent years, the outcome of the Nov. 5 elections could reduce the ranks of the lawyer-legislators even further. The state Senate's two lawyer-legislators aren't running for re-election, and three of the four lawyers seeking state Senate seats this year are running against incumbents. The presence of lawyer-legislators in the Senate next year will be determined by four races: Peter E. Hutchins, a Democrat, is challenging first-term incumbent Ted Gatsas in Senate District 16, which includes Manchester. Republican Pamela Saia, a first-term House member from Hampton, is challenging six-term incumbent Burt Cohen in the 24th. Seeking an open seat (vacated by Debora Pignatelli) is Nashua attorney Joseph A. Foster, running as a Democrat, who faces Bea Francouer in the 13th District. Also, Exeter Democrat Margaret Wood Hassan is challenging first-term incumbent Russell Prescott in the 23rd District. In the House races, there are nine NH Bar members among the Republican candidates and 13 NH Bar members among the Democratic candidates for representative. Nine of those lawyer-legislators, four Republicans and five Democrats, are incumbents. Last year, 16 New Hampshire Bar members served in the Legislature, including two in the state Senate. Neither lawyer-senator is returning, although two-termer Mark Fernald is hoping to win the corner office in the State House. The other retiree is Senate Judiciary Chair Edward M. "Ned" Gordon, who announced last spring that he would not run again after serving four terms in the Senate and one in the NH House. He decided to return his energies to his practice after 10 years in the Legislature. Gordon, a partner in the Wescott, Millham & Dyer firm in Laconia, also has an office in his hometown of Bristol. Seeking re-election to the House this year are Republicans Cynthia J. Dokmo, Hollis, seeking a fifth house term; David W. Hess, Hooksett, seeking a sixth term; Robert H. Rowe, Amherst, seeking a fourth term, and Tony F. Soltani, Epsom, seeking a third term. Newcomers this year (some may have served in the Legislature previously) are: Omer C. Ahern, Sanbornton; Gregory M. Sorg, Easton; Paul A. Halvorsen, Concord; and Harry M. Haytayan, Jr., Hollis, and Marge Hallyburton of Mont Vernon. Among Democrats, the incumbents running this year are: Peter H. Burling, Cornish, seeking a seventh term and currently the House Democratic leader; James W. Craig, Manchester, third term; Peter S. Espiefs, Keene, second term; Tara Reardon, Concord, fourth term, and Peter M. Sullivan, of Manchester, who was elected last November in a special election. Seeking to join the Legislature are: Jocelyn D. Champagne, Manchester; Tom Hildreth, Hollis; Emmanuel Krasner, Farmington; Paul McEachern, Portsmouth; William Philpot, Jr., Gilmanton; Ralph Stein, Salem; and Dennis P. Vachon, Strafford. Seeking a House seat and running on the Libertarian Party ticket is attorney Paula Werme, of Boscawen. Among the lawyers not returning to the House this year are Republicans Neil Reardon, Chris Reid, John Kacavas and Brien Ward, who lost a close GOP primary race for the state Senate in Coos County. Democrat John Kacavas did not seek reelection to the House. NHBA President Marty Van Oot said she encourages the participation of Bar members in the Legislature, and that such participation is another demonstration of the dedication of members of the profession to community service. "I applaud those members of the New Hampshire Bar whose commitment to public service leads them to run for political office," she said. "Lawyers have both legal training and persuasive powers that allow them to make a significant contribution to the legislative process. It is particularly important at this time in New Hampshire's history to have elected officials who truly understand - and venerate - the constitutional principles upon which democracy is predicated." There are several non-NHBA members with legal training in the Legislature seeking re-election, including Anthony F. DiFruscia, of Windham, who practices in Massachusetts; and John F. Pratt, of Walpole, a retired lawyer and businessman who sits on the House Judiciary Committee. Editor's Note: This list of candidates was reviewed with Republican and Democratic party officials. If a NH Bar member seeking office was inadvertently omitted from this list, please contact the editor at dwise@nhbar.org. For more information about these candidates, visit the NH Democratic Party Web site at www.nh-democrats.org; the NH Republican Party site at www.nhgop.org; or the Libertarian Party of NH at www.lp.org/organization/NH. |
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