With barely a month left until election day, four candidates vie to represent New Hampshire in the U.S. House of Representatives. Democratic incumbent Paul Hodes '72 faces Republican Jennifer Horn, a local radio personality, in the state's second Congressional district, which includes Hanover.
In the state's first district, Republican Jeb Bradley is challenging Democrat Carol Shea-Porter again for the seat she won from him in the 2006 election.
Horn campaign manager David Chesley said that members of the second district currently have no adequate representation in Congress, and there are a number of issues which, as people get to know both candidates better, will drive them away from Hodes.
"Real, comprehensive energy reform, fixing the broken economy and returning ethics and responsibility to government are Jennifer Horn's goals," Chesley said. "Hodes supports earmarks, tax increases and bloated budgets."
Hodes responded in an interview that the criticisms against his economic record are unfounded. He argued that he voted against the recent economic bailout bill in part because he worried a top-down approach to solving the financial crisis might divert money from crucial programs like health care and education.
"I'm especially worried about how the financial crisis will affect young people," Hodes said. "New Hampshire students graduate with the second-highest average debt in the nation, and that's very concerning. We need to make sure issues like that are at the forefront."
Hodes said that he has been a strong advocate for college students and young people by working to make college more affordable.
He also sponsored legislation that protects the health insurance of college students who are forced to drop out of college due to illness.
"I'm extraordinarily proud that in my first term we were able to get that bill through," Hodes said. "It represents a critical victory for students, and I think it shows my commitment to students and issues like health care."
Chesley, meanwhile, criticized Hodes' ethical record, claiming that Horn, if elected, would bring ethics to Congress.
"Paul Hodes said he was going to reform ethics, but instead he went down to Washington and became part of the problem," Chesley said.
Hodes, Chesley said, has abused the franking privilege accorded to members of Congress.
"He's used taxpayer money to print glossy flyers that are practically campaign documents," Chesley said.
Chesley added that Hodes has taken campaign contributions from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac while sitting on the oversight subcommittee for the Financial Services Committee.
In response to the Horn campaign's accusations of unethical conduct, Hodes said he is a staunch advocate for ethics in the House, having among other things organized a bipartisan ethics panel.
He also said that the specific allegations of unethical conduct were "very misleading."
"I, like other members of Congress, use my franking privileges to communicate with my constituents through mail," Hodes said. "I think it's very important to communicate with constituents to let them know what action I've been taking for them and where I stand on the issues."
Various polls have shown Hodes in the lead, usually with a safe margin.
A recent poll by the Concord Monitor had Hodes winning 47 to 34 percent, while a poll conducted by the University of New Hampshire showed Hodes leading Horn 38 to 26 percent.
"Jennifer's chances are very good," Chesley said. "Her name identification has gone up so much, and there are so many undecideds, that as people get to know her and learn more about Paul Hodes, the tide will turn."
Like Hodes, Porter, D-N.H., was elected in the 2006 elections for the first district.
She upset Bradley, a two-term incumbent, by over three percentage points.
A recent Concord Monitor poll showed Porter in the lead by one point, well within the poll's margin of error. The University of New Hampshire's poll had her ahead by four.
