Detailed information about these candidates is available at Manchester Ink Link. Below are the liberty picks and why.
Mayor
Jay Ruais.
- Fiscally he will be better. He unfortunately is very pro-police and specifically in favor of protecting “qualified immunity.” I recommend everyone call or write him and question him on this topic. People who have spoken to Ruais say he responds to people. The alternative is a Democrat, who has been in the Senate for years, and has a horrible anti-liberty record all around.
Aldermen (city council)
Ward 1 – Chris Morgan.
- Weak support. “Fiscally conservative, strong supporter of businesses” but also “Police, Fire Fighters and Manchester Teachers, with passion to improve Schools and youth development in Manchester.”
Ward 2 – Write-in anyone.
- Only candidate, Dan Goonan, is a life-long government employee (fire department).
Ward 3 – Scott R. Elliot.
- Not much info, but he is not Pat Long, a long-time Democrat and union guy.
Ward 4 – Mark J. Flanders.
- “[W]ill protect and uphold the Tax Cap.”
Ward 5 – Kathleen Paquette.
- Small Business owner, opposed to property tax increases.
Ward 6 – Crissy Kantor.
- “[W]ill uphold the Tax Cap to keep taxes down and, hopefully, rents down, too.” Supporting the tax cap is on her yard signs.
Ward 7 – Ross W. Terrio.
- I “support the tax cap and think it should only be broken in case of emergencies.”
Ward 8 – Ed Sapienza.
- Only one candidate running. Ward 8 is a Republican Ward and Mark Warden lives there, so he can probably tell us who is good.
Ward 9 – Jim Burkush.
- “Our goal should always be to respect the Tax Cap and keep increases as low as possible.”
Ward 10 – Bill Barry.
- Support. This race is retired cop vs. retired teacher (Jim Mara). Barry at least says he “will continue to make sure that our property taxes are as low as possible.” People have reported Barry however is approachable and responds to constituents.
Ward 11 – Norm Vincent.
- “We must eliminate ineffective policies resulting in excessive spending without results. Reducing spending will allow us to work a tax cut.”
Ward 12 – Kelly Thomas.
- “I will not override the tax cap.”
At Large – William Infantine, Joseph Kelly Levasseur.
- Moderate Republicans, better than the alternatives. Little info on opponents but one is a union guy (IBEW). Both candidates here are long-time office-holders. Infantine is GOP leadership.
School Board
At Large – Brittany Ping.
- Strong pro-liberty supporter.
Ward 2 – Constance Spencer.
- Strong pro-liberty supporter.
Ward 5 – Scott Mattiello.
- Weak support. Has some interesting things such as “By addressing the students as individuals and what they may need, rather than a quota to fill for the district” and “I believe the relationship between city government and the school district is too cozy with the Manchester School District. It is their job to advocate for the students, parents and teachers, not help City Hall balance their pet projects on the backs of taxpayers and students.”
Ward 8 – Mark Warden.
- Strong pro-liberty supporter.
Ward 11 – Gordon Haner.
- Endorsed by another liberty activist I know.
Other wards, no idea. Most of these races are both candidates trying to be more pro–public school than the others, and their interviews make it difficult to tell if anyone of them are better fiscally, support public school alternatives, Education Freedom Accounts, and so on. ▰