Armed with a minute campaign budget and decades of life experience, New Hampshire Democratic senatorial candidate Doris Haddock, known nationwide as just "Granny D," brought her campaign to the Rockefeller Center Wednesday evening.
A great-grandmother of 16, the 94-year-old is making her first try at political office in the 2004 election. With Republican John Sununu in New Hampshire's closed seat, Haddock faces Republican incumbent Judd Gregg for the state's open position.
Haddock entered the Senate race in June, after the campaign manager of presumed Democratic nominee Burt Cohen went missing with all the candidate's campaign funds and Cohen was forced to drop out of the race. The state Democratic party targeted Haddock in its search for a replacement candidate, and she willingly accepted the challenge, she said.
"I have walked long and worked hard to help clean up the system from the outside," Haddock adds on her website. "Now please help send me into the lion's den to work for fundamental reform and the interests of the people of New Hampshire and of America, and not the insurance companies and not the oil companies and not the defense contractors and lobbyists."
While the November election marks her first run for political office, Haddock's retirement has been marked by years of political activism.
In 1999, Haddock gained nationwide recognition as she walked across the country from California from Washington, D.C. to promote campaign finance reform. Walking 10 miles a day, Haddock took 14 months to complete her journey, meeting thousands of the country's citizens along the way.
Addressing a room of 30 -- most on the verge of senior citizen status and a few students -- Haddock affirmed her commitment to the cause that has come to define her in the eyes of the public: A refusal to accept corporate or political action committee contributions.
"We should protest the monstrous size that corporations have become," Haddock said. "I am getting lots of small [checks], and that is what I'm hoping to be able to win with." Haddock went on to say that her opponent Gregg was elected largely through the assistance of corporation contributions.
Haddock's campaign bank account currently retains around $8,000, while Gregg's totals $2.8 million.
Haddock didn't miss the opportunity to comment on the upcoming presidential election, deeming it the most important election of a lifetime.
"We will not sit by and let our dream be killed by the right-wing storm troopers of the empire," she said. "We have come together around John Kerry and John Edwards."
Haddock then went on to attack President Bush, blaming him for what she described as the currently-unsafe state of the country.
Concerning the state of New Hampshire, Haddock said she wants to tackle unemployment first. It worries her, she said, that Wal-Mart has become the state's chief employer, as company claims attempts to hire as many part-time employees as possible in order to avoid providing them with benefits. Haddock also described New Hampshire's lack of a state tax as problematic.
Long on life, short on politics
Besides the doubt raised in regard to her age, people also question Haddock's past experience. Born and raised in New Hampshire, she studied at Emerson College in Massachusetts for three years before leaving to get married.
After getting married, Haddock spent her years raising a family and working in a shoe factory in Manchester, where she eventually became head of the cost department, experience she believes will help her in the Senate.
But Haddock says she is not concerned about her lack of government experience. She said she plans to read all bills that come her way and will bring in experts if she comes across anything she does not understand.
"I'll do my homework," Haddock said at Wednesday's event.
While Haddock said she is well aware of her age and that, if successful, she will most likely only be able to remain in office for one term, she views her political venture as a statement for the average citizen rather than for personal gain.
"We are our only chance to be heroes," she said.
Today, Haddock will be followed on the campaign trail by ABC's "Good Morning America Weekend Edition." A debate between Haddock and Gregg will air on WMUR-TV on Oct. 21.
