I normally don’t make outright acclimations about who conservatives must defeat, but I feel compelled to do so this time in regard to the New Hampshire Senate race. There are four candidates in the race, Former Attorney General Kelly Ayotte, Ovide Lamontagne, Bill Binnie and Jim Bender. Recent polling suggests that this race is a two horse race between Ayotte and Binnie, as Ovide and Bender are mired in the single digits.  Ayotte is planting her flag as a conservative and adheres to conservative principles very consistently. Binnie on the other hand is campaigning as a fiscal conservative but more socially moderate.

It is important to note that this is New Hampshire we are talking about, not Maine or Vermont. A mainstream conservative can win in New Hampshire, therefore, we don’t need to nominate candidates like Binnie. A few facts about Mr. Binnie:

1. He has donated thousands of dollars to Democratic Candidates and supported Bill Bradley in 2000 – http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2003-11-07/news/0311070203_1_undeclared-voters-valuable-early-momentum-independents

2. He is Pro Choice and Pro Gay Marriage – http://www.binnie2010.com/index.php/news_detail/gop_senate_hopefuls_look_to_cut_through_the_noise/

3. He is for Amnesty for Illegal Aliens – http://www.concordmonitor.com/article/centrist-view-obscured-in-nh?page=0,0

4. He has said that he “doesen’t like the GOP” – http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2003-11-07/news/0311070203_1_undeclared-voters-valuable-early-momentum-independents

5. He is self-funding his campaign to create an image that is counter to his record.

6. He has not ruled out tax increases as a means to reduce the deficit – http://www.nowhampshire.com/2010/02/03/binnie-leaves-door-open-for-tax-increases/

These stances are a lot closer to Bernie Sanders than they are to Jim DeMint. What’s really clear, is that we have a race between a Conservative and a Moderate/Liberal republican in a state where the GOP does not need a moderate to win. If this was Delaware (Mike Castle) or Illinois (Kirk) I would not be as vocal as I am because we do need those seats to obtain a majority. But this is NEW HAMPSHIRE. The thing that makes this race so interesting is that people perceive as the establishment candidate, Ayotte,  is actually the Conservative candidate. She was a great Attorney General and is a pro life, pro gun, fiscal conservative who was named Citizen of The Year by the conservative New Hampshire Union Leader.  The other conservative in the race, Ovide, is a good man but has not proven to be a good candidate. He ran twice in the 90’s statewide and lost by 15 or more points each time, in mind you, what were good republican years.  The choice in New Hampshire is clear. We can elect a man who has donated to democrats, is a social liberal, said that he does not like the GOP as late as 2003 and supports Amnesty; or we can support a young conservative woman who has a record as a law and order, no nonsense prosecutor who has fought and will fight for conservative values.

ps. www.ayotteforsenate.com