Joe Kenney seeks reelection to NH Executive Council in reconfigured District 1
New Hampshire Executive Council District 1 incumbent Joe Kenney, a Republican, has announced he is running for reelection. He said he looks forward to how his district is changing to include the Dover, Rochester and Somersworth area he once called home.
Kenney's opponent will be Somersworth Mayor Dana Hilliard, a Democrat who previously announced his candidacy.
While he lives in Union now, Kenney said, the way district boundaries shifted makes him feel a sense of “coming home.” Kenney is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire in Durham and Spaulding High School in Rochester. Kenny said with his son being a graduate of Plymouth State University, and his daughter finishing up her last year at Spaulding High School, he’s looking forward to making a more local impact.
“I’m much more familiar with the issues in these areas than the western part of the state.” Kenney said, adding that the newly drawn district lines make a lot more sense. “I will be making the rounds and visiting old friends and hopefully making some new ones in our new district. I want to make sure they know that I am a councilor who has grown up here just like them and I am committed to full-time service of the district, not part-time.”
Kenney is a former state senator and a retired Marines colonel who served in Afghanistan and Iraq. He said he plans to visit the newly added District 1 towns and cities to learn more about their needs.
"I always say: if it's a problem for you, it's a problem for me. Let's solve it together," Kenney said. "There will be 15 new communities in District 1 this year."
Kenney said that his role is not just about serving consituents, it's about cutting the red tape to get answers for people quickly and advocating for legislation and matters important to the district.
He said his priority is always “giving full-time and dependable constituent service” to the people of District 1. His focus for the district will be keeping taxes down, economic development, infrastructure and the mental health system.
What does District 1 look like?
The five-district Executive Council map signed into law this month by Republican Gov. Chris Sununu creates four districts that lean Republican, leaving a single Democratic-leaning district (District 2).
Executive Council District 1 will now be made up of the towns and cities of: Albany, Alexandria, Alton, Bartlett, Belmont, Berlin, Bridgewater, Bristol, Brookfield, Cambridge, Center Harbor, Chatham, Clarksville, Colebrook, Columbia, Conway, Dalton, Danbury, Dixville, Dover, Dummer, Durham, Eaton, Effingham, Errol, Farmington, Franklin, Freedom, Gilford, Gilmanton, Gorham, Hart's Location, Hebron, Hill, Jackson, Jefferson, Kilkenny, Laconia, Lancaster, Livermore, Madbury, Madison, Meredith, Middleton, Milan, Millsfield, Milton, Moultonborough, New Durham, New Hampton, Northfield, Northumberland, Odell, Ossipee, Pittsburg, Randolph, Rochester, Rollinsford, Sanbornton, Sandwich, Shelburne, Somersworth, Stark, Stewartstown, Stratford, Success, Tamworth, Tilton, Tuftonboro, Wakefield, Waterville Valley, Whitefield, and Wolfeboro.
This article originally appeared on Fosters Daily Democrat: Joe Kenney seeks reelection to NH Executive Council in new District 1
