Politics & Government

Another Republican Opts Against Gubernatorial Run

Well-respected NH restauranteur was rumored to challenge Maggie Hassan in 2014.

Add Bedford restauranteur Chuck Rolecek to a growing list of Republicans who have chosen against seeking the Republican nomination to run against incumbent Gov. Maggie Hassan.

According to WMUR's James Pindell, Rolecek, who was recently rumored to be a top choice among New Hampshire conservatives, has decided against throwing his name into the hat in 2014. No other Republican has formally entered the gubernatorial race, though Andrew Hemingway – who lost his bid for the New Hampshire GOP chairmanship earlier this year – has been rumored to be weighing his options regarding the race.

Granite State Democrats reacted quickly.

NHDP Communications Director Harrell Kirstein said Rolecek is just another example of the GOP's inability to find candidates to step up for the midterm elections.

Well-known Republicans such as former House Speaker Bill O'Brien and state senator Andy Sandborn have already decided against running for U.S. Representative and governor, respectively.

"New Hampshire Republicans continue to flee their party's 2014 ticket, because of the strength of Democrats up and down the ballot and also because the New Hampshire Republican Party is in shambles," said Kirstein. "Voters have had it with the Republican brand and agenda, all the way from their support for the irresponsible forced government shutdown to the reckless and offensive rhetoric coming from Republicans in Concord.  The NHGOP has become synonymous with the extreme and radical Tea Party ideology, and an infamous haven for fringe right-wing candidates."

Meanwhile, rumors continue to swirl that Scott Brown will seek to rejoin Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) on the U.S. Senate floor by taking on Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) in 2014. Brown announced this week he has sold his Massachusetts home and is moving to New Hampshire. He owns a summer home in Rye and was the keynote speaker at Thursday night's NHGOP fundraiser in Nashua.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here