Dem governor candidate challenges Sununu on sending NH National Guard to Mexican border

CONCORD — Executive Councilor Cinde Warmington, a Democrat, challenged Republican Gov. Chris Sununu on Wednesday over his recent request for $850,000 to send 15 New Hampshire National Guard troops to Texas as part of a border dispute with the federal government.

Warmington, who is running for governor in 2024, raised concerns about whether the troops will take orders from Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott instead of the federal government.

“Governor Abbott has taken the position that Texas law supersedes federal law when it comes to border security,” Warmington said. “So will the New Hampshire National Guard have to follow Governor Abbott’s orders even if they’re contrary to federal law?”

Maj. Gen. David Mikolaities, who is the adjutant general of the New Hampshire National Guard, said he would rather not answer that question, stating a military attorney could speak to that issue. Generally, he said, Guard troops follow the laws of the state they are in or the federal government, whichever supersedes.

Sununu recently traveled to the border in support of Abbott, who has been clashing with the Biden administration since Texas began denying access to U.S. Border Patrol agents at a park along the Rio Grande. Sununu and governors from Montana and Georgia have stated they would send troops.

Warmington brought up the issue during Wednesday's New Hampshire Executive Council meeting, when members were to vote on whether to accept and expend additional federal funds to the Department of Military Affairs and Veterans Services to fund the design of a new New Hampshire Services Center.

Warmington criticized Sununu for exercising emergency powers to get the funding when there are six weeks before the National Guard would be deployed.

“You could have had time to have a public hearing on this,” she said. “You could have had time to bring this to the council. You chose not to do that.”

The state Legislature's Joint Fiscal Committee approved Sununu's request Feb. 16, voting 6-4 along party lines.

Sununu responds to Warmington

Sununu said the Executive Council meeting was not the time for this discussion because the troops being sent to the border wasn’t an agenda item.

He also accused Warmington of using the moment to campaign.

“This is not an opportunity to do campaigns. You can talk to the press after the council meeting,” said Sununu, who is not seeking reelection.

Sununu stated he does not believe Abbott said Texas law trumps federal law, adding this is not a new situation.

"This is not the first time our National Guard has been under the command of potentially someone other than the National Guard," he said. "They would act as they would in any other situation."

Further arguments on NH troops going to Texas

Councilor Joseph D. Kenney joined the conversation, too.

“We’re not setting precedent here, we’ve deployed guardsmen for different roles throughout the country at various times,” Kenny said.

Mikolaities confirmed this is true, stating this will be the New Hampshire National Guard’s third trip to the southern border after deploying in 2021 and 2023.

“The units in 2021 and 2023 were under control, they were at the order of the president,” Warmington said. She said Abbott's rhetoric makes this situation different than previous times when New Hampshire National Guard members were deployed to other areas of the country.

Material from the Associated Press is used in this report.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Warmington challenges Sununu on sending NH troops to Mexican border