The people of Massachusetts have now spoken, electing to the United States Senate their state’s first Republican Senator in more than three decades. Scott Brown’s election is a resounding message about what the American people want from their representatives to Washington: common sense leaders who believe in limited government and independence from party dogma. They also signaled loud and clear that they are opposed to the healthcare bill now winding its way through Congress. The cynicism and hubris in which this bill has been created has alienated the country and the voters.
Scott Brown was exactly right when he declared, “this is the people’s seat.” The same is true of every single seat in Congress. No candidate for federal legislative office should ever forget that he or she is not going to Washington as a representative of a political party or a group of special interests. Far too often they have, placing personal gain and ambition above helping solve the problems of the constituents they represent.
Senator Brown has pledged to break with this disturbing habit and to put the people first. I am making this same pledge as a candidate for Congress in the 1st Congressional District of New Hampshire. I am proud to have supported Scott Brown by facilitating NH residents going down to Massachusetts and by sending my campaign staff to Massachusetts to help ensure the integrity of the election process. And although we hail from different states, as neighbors both geographically and in our shared vision of good government, I look forward to the possibility of working with him in the future.