New Hampshire's Secretary of State of over 40 years could lose job due to Trump - Polidicks

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/11/25/bill-gardner-new-hampshire-trump-voter-fraud-1010999 Secretary of State Bill Gardner has had a decades-long run as the legendary, hard-nosed guardian of New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation primary. But he may not make it through the Trump era. Gardner, a fixture in presidential politics after more than 40 years in office, is on the verge of a bitter ouster from his job after supporting stricter voter eligibility requirements and participating in President Donald Trump’s ill-fated voter fraud commission. Though he has traditionally garnered support from both Republicans and Democrats — the legislature selects the state’s secretary of state every two years — New Hampshire House Democrats overwhelmingly threw their support to a rival Democrat, Colin Van Ostern, in a preliminary caucus vote recently. Now Gardner is fighting for his survival. Gardner, who is 77 and bidding for a 22nd term, has stood at the forefront of the state's quadrennial effort to retain its early primary. In the run-up to the 2012 election, Gardner famously threatened to jump New Hampshire’s primary to December of the previous year, cowing Nevadan Republicans who attempted — then abandoned — an effort to move up their own nominating contest. It was Gardner, with former Gov. Hugh Gregg, who wrote the book on New Hampshire’s early primary, “Why New Hampshire?” While few expect a Gardner defeat would have a significant effect on the 2020 primary, the secretary of state’s defenders argue that replacing him — and his rigorously non-partisan approach to the job — with a more openly partisan official like Van Ostern could put the state’s traditional position on the primary calendar at risk in the future. New Hampshire follows only Iowa’s caucuses on the presidential nominating calendar. Decades of service have exposed Gardner to his share of conflict, including flare-ups with local elections officials and state lawmakers. But Democrats fumed when he agreed to participate in Trump’s controversial voter fraud panel — then again when he supported legislation tightening voter residency requirements. In an era of intense scrutiny on state elections officials — and heightened politicization of their offices — Gardner's critics appear to be catching up to him. Speaking to reporters in New Hampshire after the caucus vote against him, Gardner acknowledged last week that “some may never forgive me” for participating in Trump’s now- disbanded voter commission, which was designed to investigate the president’s unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud during the 2016 election. However, Gardner said “it was better that New Hampshire be represented than not, and I was bringing the New Hampshire values and my values to that commission.” He added, “It’s better to be at the table than on the menu.”

good. Nobody should hold an office for that long

Wow Trump is great

Trump has been the absolute worst thing to happen to the Republican party in modern history. (not that I'm complaining)

The strange thing is that he's a Democrat.

God, first we lose the Old Man of the Mountain and now we're losing an official of 21 terms? Are there any other boring things you guys wanna take from us?