FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 18, 2020
Contact: Ally Livingston, alivingston@jeanneshaheen.org

ICYMI — New Hampshire Mayors endorsed Senator Jeanne Shaheen for re-election, highlighting how she has made a difference in their communities, securing federal funding to strengthen local infrastructure, to create new jobs, and to improve and expand veterans care and affordable housing. Shaheen was endorsed by Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig, Nashua Mayor Jim Donchess, Concord Mayor Jim Bouley, Laconia Mayor Andrew Hosmer, Dover Mayor Robert Carrier, Rochester Mayor Caroline McCarley, Somersworth Mayor Dana Hilliard, and Berlin Mayor Paul Grenier.

Shaheen has stayed in close contact with mayors and local leaders across New Hampshire during the pandemic and continues to push for more funding for cities and local municipalities to support New Hampshire public schools, local fire departments, and critical local government programs.

Manchester Ink Link: Four NH mayors gather at Wagner Park to endorse Jeanne Shaheen

By Andrew Sylvia

MANCHESTER, N.H. – On Monday, Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig joined with the mayors of Nashua, Concord and Laconia to simultaneously endorse U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) in her bid to return to Washington for a third term.

All four mayors praised Shaheen for her efforts to directly help their cities in the past, helping facilitate state and federal aid for local projects relating to Veterans Administration support, the opioid crisis, infrastructure improvements and assistance for small businesses.

Concord Mayor Jim Bouley said that her help was vital to make sure support for New Hampshire priorities was not sidetracked by other initiatives.

“When folks in D.C. try to take away money to perhaps build a wall or whatever scheme they come up with, it’s great to have Shaheen there fighting not only for citizens of New Hampshire and Concord, but our military and our veterans and our National Guard so they can continue to provide their services, he said.

Each mayor provided their own story on how Shaheen specifically helped their community. Craig noted federal support for Boston-Manchester Regional Airport. Bouley referenced a TIGER Grant that helped rejuvenate the state capital’s downtown and cut store vacancies by half. Nashua Mayor Jim Donchess referenced a boat ramp on the Merrimack River that received support thanks to Shaheen’s efforts. Laconia Mayor Andrew Hosmer referenced initiatives to stem youth violence.

These instances were just some of the long list of things that they say Shaheen has helped force Congress to provide local funding for in New Hampshire, and Shaheen believes that providing that local support is more vital than ever due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, Shaheen also said that efforts to provide additional local support have been stymied by President Donald Trump and U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), citing the Republicans’ recent proposal to tie aid for school districts with them bringing back students for in-person instruction regardless of COVID-19 statistics, with that aid at only a quarter of the proposed Democratic support.

“Sadly, (COVID-19 relief) has been help up about a disagreement about what we are going to support. One of the biggest obstacles have been support for cities and towns,” said Shaheen. “Remember Mitch McConnell’s statement earlier this summer when he said that states and communities can just go bankrupt. That’s not the approach we can take, we need to provide help for the communities and states that are on the front lines of this pandemic.”

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Seacoast Online: Tri-City mayors endorse Shaheen as she calls for virus relief package

By Jeff McMenemy

DOVER – U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., said Monday it was “very troubling” to her that “we still see an impasse in Washington over another package of assistance to help with the coronavirus.”

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Her comments came Monday after she was endorsed in the 2020 election by Dover Mayor Robert Carrier, Somersworth Mayor Dana Hilliard and Rochester Mayor Caroline McCarley. Shaheen is seeking a third six-year term in the Senate and is expected to face the Republican winner of the Sept. 8 primary in November.

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Carrier, Dover’s mayor, recalled how Shaheen once worked as a teacher at Dover High School, and said she “is the person who moves our state forward.”

“She fights for us very, very hard,” Carrier stated during Monday’s endorsement event. “She’s been an awesome advocate, for not only the city of Dover, but the state of New Hampshire.”

He credited Shaheen with taking the time to talk “to us mayors and all the administrators.”

She “finds out what the concerns are, addresses those concerns, and totally pushes things forward to help us,” Carrier said.

Hilliard, Somersworth’s mayor, called Shaheen “a great friend to the Hilltop City.”

He recalled first meeting Shaheen “when I was in the fourth grade getting ready to sing a poem that I had wrote with my class” about the Somersworth International Children’s Festival.

He added Shaheen was “one of the founders of the children’s festival.”

“Years later, I would just be inspired by her leadership as a young member of the Legislature,” Hilliard said.

“Sen. Shaheen has made such a difference to Somersworth and to all of our respective cities,” he said. “We need her in the Senate now more than ever.”

Hilliard said Shaheen “has been a critical ally as we’ve adjusted to life during the pandemic.”

When Republicans tried to “ram through relief packages” without education monies, Shaheen “blocked it,” he said. She negotiated “a better deal for New Hampshire,” which delivered millions for public education in the state.

McCarley, Rochester’s mayor, credited Shaheen for helping to get hospitals funding during the pandemic.

“Without that money, I have no idea what our health system would have looked like,” she said.

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