It’s official. Former Republican Executive Councilor Joseph D. Kenney has signed up to run for his fourth term representing District 1, which includes 108 towns, 4 cities and several unincorporated areas in northern New Hampshire.

Kenney made an official announcement Tuesday afternoon while he filed for the seat at the New Hampshire State House in Concord.

The official filing period for the September party primaries and November general election opened Wednesday morning, June 2, and ended at 5 PM Friday, June 12.

Kenney, a Wakefield Republican, said in a statement, “The New Hampshire Executive Council is being run like a Washington, DC boardroom and it needs to restore its civility and responsibility to the citizens of New Hampshire.”

“It’s time to Keep New Hampshire, New Hampshire to preserve our traditions, way of life and tax advantages.”

There are five members of the Executive Council, and three are Democrats.
District 1 includes all the towns/cities in the counties of Coos, Grafton, and Carroll; the unincorporated territories of the northern counties; the towns in Strafford County of Milton, New Durham, and Middleton; the towns in Belknap County of Alton, Center Harbor, Gilford, Laconia, New Hampton, Sanbornton, and Tilton; the towns in Merrimack County of Andover, Danbury, Hill, New London, and Wilmot; the towns in Sullivan County of Cornish, Croydon, Grantham, Newport, Plainfield, Springfield, and Sunapee, and the cities of Claremont and Laconia.

“As it stands, it has been almost ten months since the state has had a fifth state supreme court justice. The state has been left in an unsafe position during a pandemic crisis without a full court, this is not acceptable, Kenney said.”

“The next set of state elected officials will need to embrace and educate the public on the impact of the coronavirus on our economy and the upcoming state budget,” he said. “Taxpayers will expect the state government to trim the fat and support only expenditures for essential services.”

“The North Country families and businesses have been hit hard and it’s time to acknowledge their sacrifice and the needed support to re-energize small businesses and the travel and tourism industry — the driving force above the notches.”

“The faster we get our North Country economy going again, the more businesses and jobs are saved.  It’s time to unleash the North Country and maximize its potential.”

“Serving the people of District 1 has been a great honor, and I look forward to earning their trust and votes again. It’s time to get New Hampshire back on the right track, ditch the divisiveness and make government transparent for the people.”

Kenney will be making his fifth run for the District 1 seat. He won the seat in 2014 in a Special Election (filling out Ray Burton seat), 2014, and 2016. Lost to Michael Cryans in 2018.  He had previously beaten Cryans three times.