NH Republicans Say Scott Brown Should Run, Can Beat Shaheen

A majority of New Hampshire Republicans surveyed this week said they think Scott Brown should run for U.S. Senate in New Hampshire and that he can absolutely defeat Democratic incumbent Jeanne Shaheen.

A Suffolk University/Boston Herald poll released this week shows Shaheen with a big lead on Brown. Earlier polls had shown the race to be neck-and-neck. The former Massachusetts Senator, who moved to New Hampshire last year, still hasn't said if he'll run or when he might announce his intentions.

Patch asked more than 100 New Hampshire Republicans for their thoughts on whether Brown should run for Senate here in the Granite State, and more than half of those responding said they think he should get in the race. Fifty-five percent of respondents said Brown should run, 27 percent said no, and another 18 percent said they are unsure.

"Yes Scott Brown should run for US Senate in NH," said Bill Modis, vice chairman of the Amherst Republicans. "He is an individual thinker, middle road person and I appreciate his points. He is a down to earth guy, as I have met him, and not just for a few minutes. He is very open and tells it like he sees it. Go Scott, please."

"He is the only strong candidate that the Republican Party has," added former Hampton State Rep. James Waddell. "None of the others are going to mount a challenge to Shaheen."

"With all of the TV ads running in this state in opposition to his candidacy, it is obvious that the Dems are fearful that he might launch a successful campaign and WIN!" former Bow State Rep. Eric Anderson said.

Some, though, remain wary of Brown.

"He has to prove to me he is genuinely from New Hampshire and not a carpetbagger," said Zakariah Johnson of Portsmouth.

"From my perspective there is something nauseating about a politician tossed out of office in his home state contemplating a carpet bagging campaign in NH," added Republican activist Christopher Tremblay. "Former Senator Brown enjoyed a historic victory in Massachusetts. He should savor the memory and retire from politics."

"I don't think he understands NH and I think he's just looking for an opportunity," said William Smith, a conservative blogger from Merrimack.

Asked if Brown can beat Shaheen, the Republicans surveyed were more unified. Seventy-six percent said they think he can unseat the incumbent, 19 percent said no, and 5 percent were unsure. Obamacare was the most frequently cited reason why Brown can win the race.

"Scott is the only Republican who can beat Shaheen," said Bob Washburn of Concord.

"The way Shaheen is voting and clinging to Obama even Biden could beat Shaheen," added Amherst State Rep. Peter Hansen. "There is nothing I would enjoy more than her defeat."

New Hampshire Republicans also felt strongly that Brown's reluctance to announce whether he's running or not isn't negatively impacting the other GOP candidates, including Jim Rubens, Bob Smith and Karen Testerman. Eighty percent of those surveyed said they don't think he's hurting the other candidates, with only 20 percent saying he is making things harder for them.

"Good strategy," said Gary Ellmer, chairman of the Portsmouth Republican Committee. "Shaheen is already running ads against him and no dominant opponent has shown up, so what's the hurry?"

But William Boyd of Merrimack said he thinks by waiting Brown is hurting his own chances.

"He needs to decide sooner than later," he said. "The more he waits, the less serious he is and the less serious the voter might be to his candidacy. His ambivalance hasn't gone unnoticed by me."

Asked who they would vote for if the GOP primary were held today, Brown received 56 percent support, followed by Smith at 10 percent and Rubens and Testerman at 5 percent. Twenty-four percent said they remain undecided.

"Even though I don't think he should run, I would still vote for Scott Brown when compared to the rest of that list," said J. Christopher Williams of Nashua.

"None of the others have the name nor support to defeat the entrenched Shaheen machine," added Ellmer.

But Jane Aitken of the New Hampshire Tea Party Coalition said there's no way she'd vote for Brown, citing his lack of grassroots support.

"I have not made a decision yet about for whom I would vote amongst the legitimate candidates, but I can tell you it would never be Scott Brown," she said.