LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

In the two largest primary races, I’ll be casting my ballot for Steve Marchand and Mindi Messmer--two smart candidates with passion and great ideas. Both have spent the past two years connecting with voters and, in Mindi’s case, also making a big difference in our own state legislature.

The state is blessed that we have so many excellent Democrats running for this position this cycle, but in my opinion Mindi is the best.

Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson, retired, the former Chief of Staff to Secretary of State Colin Powell endorses Mindi Messmer for our Congressional district-one seat. He knows she, a scientist, has successfully fought many battles in her first two years in the NH State Legislature. She won battles to pass 16 bills which she sponsored or cosponsored, an unheard of feat for a freshman representative in a legislature dominated by the opposition party. Col. Wilkerson knows that is the kind of battlefield experience, battling to get legislation passed, that’s needed to be effective in the U.S. Congress.

I’m writing to voice my enthusiastic support for Mindi Messmer in the NH First Congressional District (CD-1) race. I believe there is no better person to represent New Hampshire in Washington!

Mindi is a truly extra-ordinary individual. She combines an extensive knowledge of scientific and technical concepts with a deep desire to help solve "people problems" and "community problems". Those skills are quite rare to be combined in one individual, let alone in an individual that is committed to serve our best public interests as a politician.

Mindi Messmer is my choice for Congress because she is the only candidate who has made public health the highest priority. Many candidates, including Messmer, advocate for Medicare for all or to make commercial health insurance more affordable, however, she alone emphasizes the “big picture;” that is, the need to address broader factors that make Americans sick in the first place.

Because of the disastrous Citizens United Supreme Court decision, the billionaire Koch Brothers can spend an unlimited amount of money to try to control the political process and elections. They are working hard to own the Republican Party in New Hampshire so they can continue to promote policies that hurt the middle class and the state’s most vulnerable citizens. Americans for Prosperity, which was founded by the Koch brothers, has set up shop in various locations in Congressional District 1, including Dover and Portsmouth, to impact the outcome of the 2018 election.

Green is the New Red, White and Blue. In the race for U.S. Congress in NH-1, there is only one candidate who carries the mantle of Rachel Carson, Bill McKibben, and the long heritage of American environmental concern, and that is environmental scientist Mindi Messmer.

I’m a pantheistic transcendentalist; nature is my religion, the planet my church. I know, that makes most of you believe that I’m some sort of hippie tree hugger that cries for the fate of polar bears and baby seals. I also worry every time I drive to Boston and see the apartment houses next to the highway wondering how the occupants, that can’t afford to live anywhere else, are faring health wise with the pollution from all the cars. Their situation will be made worse now that Trump has repealed emission standards. I see the pictures of all the dead fish and toxic algae in Florida, and think of the fishermen who can’t earn a living, the wait staff in beach restaurants where I will not go, who are losing salary and tips.

I know Emily’s List has supported some very progressive and capable female candidates from across our great country, and I applaud that. However, this election cycle, your organization really blew it by supporting and promoting the candidacy of political “carpetbagger” Maura Sullivan here in New Hampshire for Congressional District 1 over the candidacy of Mindi Messmer. We’re pretty well “schooled” in politics here in New Hampshire. It should tell you something when a large percentage of Maura Sullivan’s campaign contributions are not from New Hampshire residents, but from corporations and wealthy residents of other states.

Back in 2011 my town was redistricted from the 1st Congressional District to the 2nd Congressional District. Because my heart is still in CD 1, I am watching that Democratic primary with a sense of distress: There are so many candidates, and while there are some who would be good choices in another time, but not in the midst of the environmental and political disasters we are enduring, some of them are just okay and some of them are truly disgraceful. (Maura Sullivan and Levi Sanders, are you listening? This citizen dislikes carpetbaggers.)

I feel that Mindi Messmer has distinguished herself among all the Democratic candidates for Representative of NH District 01. She has been effective at getting important legislation passed at the state level. For example, she sponsored or co-sponsored legislation on environmental protection, mental health, dental health, juvenile justice, and cancer prevention.

She also has a history of working well across the aisle. She demonstrated good bipartisan collaboration on legislation to establish water monitoring standards. As a resident of Merrimack, a town that has been battling PFOA water contamination, I am truly thankful.