MANCHESTER, N.H. – With hours left until Election Day, candidates and their supporters across the city were out on street corners looking to garner last minute support from potential undecided motorists heading their way.
On the West Side, supporters of Victoria Sullivan and other right-wing candidates gathered on McGregor Street near the Notre Dame Bridge to hold signs and wave on Monday afternoon.
State Representative Mark Warden, who represents Wards 8 and 9 in Concord, says that in his circles he’s hearing that a lot of people are ready for a change in the city and that many others were not even aware that there was an election on Tuesday.
“We’ll see if the voters show up tomorrow. I like Victoria’s chances,” he said. “I think she’s an underdog, but the more people hear about her stances on education and some of the crime issues in town, the more I think she has a good shot.”
Meanwhile at the corner of Elm and Queen City Avenue, supporters of incumbent Mayor Joyce Craig, including several members of Carpenters Union Local 349 and 352, were out as well looking to show their support for Craig and other candidates supporting the mayor down the ticket.
Blaine Hanson, one of the union members, says that among the people he knows there’s about a 60/40 split between Craig supporters and those who are either undecided or supporting Sullivan. He adds that Tuesday and next November’s state and federal races will set the tone for the country.
“Hopefully it won’t be close and hopefully the mayor will win with a landslide, but the way politics are these days, it will probably come down to the wire, it is what it is. So, we have to turn out as many people as we can for this and to turn out to vote,” he said.
Terry Robicheau, another union member, says he’s unsure of who his friends and family support since politics have become more polarized in recent years. But he know he’s supporting Craig.
“I’m happy with any politician that’s willing to work with the unions,” he said. “I’m afraid to predict tomorrow’s outcome, I don’t know what’s going to happen, honestly. But I do know I’m going to vote.”
The union members as well as Craig have said they received an overwhelmingly positive response from cars driving by, with Craig adding that the response has been similar to previous campaigns.
Across town, supporters of Sullivan such as Ward 11 Board of School Committee Candidate Britney LeClear-Ping echoed that sentiment, stating that she saw a positive reaction from motorists on Tuesday as well as in recent weeks at other sign holding locations across the city.
She believes that positivity will lead to a greater inclusion of right-wing voices in city government.
“It’s been really positive, the Republicans across the city have been organizing across the city for weekly events like this and that’s what we’ve been hearing from Ward 3 and Ward 6 and Ward 8 and Ward 7 that there’s a lot of excitement and people are ready to support our candidates,” she said.