Bob Gienko '01 has an interesting relationship with the candidate he supports for the New Hampshire State Legislature. He ties his shoes, combs his hair, brushes his teeth and sees him in the mirror.
Gienko's choice for New Hampshire's House of Representatives: himself.
Earlier this month, the 21-year-old senior achieved modest success in the Grafton County primary. Although four candidates vied for four nominations in the county containing Hanover and Lyme, he accumulated the second highest vote total.
Gienko, however, is not one to rest on his laurels. From now until election day, he intends to knock on every door of every residence in the towns of Hanover and Lyme.
"I think I can do a great deal for Hanover and New Hampshire," Gienko told The Dartmouth yesterday.
Gienko's decision to run for public office came last May, after many sleepless nights.
"There weren't many Republicans running in Hanover," Gienko explained. "It was more of a calling then anything."
Unlike many politically active students, Gienko did not become involved in politics until his sophomore year of college, when his friend Paul Biggs '01 encouraged him to join the Conservative Union at Dartmouth.
Despite his newness to the organization, Gienko was soon elected CUAD vice chairman. A year later, Gienko became the chairman of the union, following his predecessor's resignation.
During this time, Gienko helped found the College Republican Federation of New Hampshire, an overarching organization for all collegiate Republican groups in the state.
The experience that most influenced his decision to run for political office was his work on John McCain's campaign for United States president.
"For him, it didn't seem like a personal ambition. He was looking out for the best interests of the country," he said of McCain. "For me, that's what public service is supposed to be about."
With McCain's campaign now defunct, Gienko has shifted his support to George W. Bush.
Despite his endorsement of Bush's candidacy, Gienko finds that he differs with many of his fellow Republicans on several issues.
In regard to healthcare, Gienko supports mandating HMO accountability and providing government subsidies of prescription drugs for seniors.
On the issue of education, he proposes targeting state aid specifically to underperforming school districts and eliminating aid to wealthier districts.
Gienko is also a strong supporter of campaign finance reform, refusing to accept donations from political action committees.
Gienko's divergence from traditional Republican stances is one of his biggest strengths, according to campaign manager Brian Stults '02, who worked on Democratic candidate Al Gore's campaign during the primaries.
"We wanted to forge a bipartisan approach, combining the best of both parties," he said. "That would be best for New Hampshire."
Gienko considers himself a moderate Republican, favoring a cap on property taxes and small government.
He attributes his political leanings to his father, who ran a small business in Chicago, Gienko's native city. According to Gienko, government interference in his father's business only caused problems.
A history major, Gienko also bases part of his philosophy on what he's learned in class.
"This country was founded on [the principal of] a limited role for government ... I believe in smaller government. I believe that individuals can make better decisions for themselves than bureaucrats can. I believe that government has a limited role in people's lives, but I believe more in individual liberties and freedoms," Gienko said.
He will find out how many voters support his beliefs on election day, Nov. 7.
