Ending several weeks of speculation, former Gov. John H. Sununu has made it official: He will try to become the next leader
of the state's Republicans.
Charging that "Democrats are ruining New Hampshire," Sununu told the New Hampshire Sunday News he has decided to become
a candidate for chairman of the Republican State Committee.
Current Chairman Fergus Cullen won't seek another term when the state committee meets in January to elect officers.
"I am going to step aside and support him," Cullen said. "He's clearly extraordinarily qualified to do the job."
There are currently no other candidates for the post.
Sununu praised Cullen, a 36-year-old activist who won the position two years ago after the party took a beating in the
2006 election. The GOP fared no better last month, but Sununu said, "Fergus did an excellent job in a very difficult cycle
for Republicans.
Former Gov. John H. Sununu has made it official: He will try to become the next leader of the state's Republicans.
(DICK MORIN)
"But," he said, "clearly, a number of people think there is an advantage to having a more recognizable name trying to pull
the party together at this time."
Among the Republicans who lost at the ballot box on Nov. 4 was Sununu's son, Sen. John E. Sununu.
Within a week of the election, the former White House chief of staff, who has kept a low profile for nearly two decades,
re-emerged. At a GOP luncheon, Sununu called Gov. John Lynch, who had just been elected to a third term with 70 percent of
the vote, "the worst governor the state of New Hampshire has ever had."
Two weeks ago, Sununu said he would "reluctantly consider" whether to seek the chairmanship. This weekend, he said, "After
listening to a lot of folks argue strongly for me to run, I've decided to do it."
Although the Republicans lost the Senate seat and the presidential race in the state, Sununu credited Cullen with a 17-seat
Republican gain in the House and holding 10 Republican state Senate seats.
There had been earlier speculation that Sununu, if he were to run and be elected, would find a special role for Cullen.
But Sununu said there would be no such deal, and Cullen said, "I don't mind being given an opportunity to focus again on
my family."
Cullen said, however, that had Sununu chosen not to run, "It was apparent that I had more than enough political support
to continue."
Sununu said, "The only continuity piece that might be appropriate" is for longtime party vice chairman Wayne MacDonald
to continue in that position.
Otherwise, Sununu said, he intends to "take my time if and when elected chairman to review the staff structures."
"My biggest concern is trying to help rebuild the party in terms of clear definition of issues, recruitment of good candidates
and raising sufficient funds to support some solid campaigns," he said.
He said that with Democrats in the governor's office for 10 of the past 12 years and now controlling the Legislature, there
has been "a tremendous explosion of spending, loss of local control, passing costs to the cities, towns and counties and a
failure to live up to New Hampshire's traditions."
He said if elected, he will speak out for "Republican traditions of low taxes, local control, community involvement and
the rights that individuals have. The Republican Party has to keep the Democrats from destroying the state."
Sununu's wife, Nancy, was state GOP chairman during Ronald Reagan's campaign in 1979 and 1980.
Sununu said he has been able to "restructure demands on my time" for his consulting business "and will be able to allocate
a significant amount of time and energy to this position if the party chooses to elect me."
He was unconcerned by internal struggles now occurring in the party, saying that "one of my jobs is to try to address the
issue of different personalities."
Cullen said he will leave the chairmanship having been an "able steward" of the first-in-the-nation primary. He said he
successfully "transitioned" the party office to new headquarters, "stabilized party finances," focused on recruiting qualified
women candidates and "helped restore a degree of civility in the discourse" between the GOP and the Democratic Party. At 36,
he said he is youngest GOP state chairman in the nation.
