Letter: Thank You Voters for Support in a Tough Special Election Primary

To the editor:

I am writing to thank every person who voted for me in the special election primary for state Senate District 11. I am also writing to thank all of the people who were supportive of my candidacy in various ways. I appreciated all very much!

I enjoyed connecting with voters again and engaging in the political process. Practically everyone appreciated it also, save for the few rude people who forgot their manners.

Special elections are the toughest. That is because they are at a different time, this one being near a holiday, and very short in time as this was only five weeks. And voters are going to the polls for no other race. Statistically the biggest voter turnout is for Presidential elections, next are the off-year non-presidential elections, next primaries, next specials, and last are special-primaries. If you add rain, then that keeps people away too. So a special primary near a holiday in the rain couldn’t be worse, unless we had a natural disaster.

A state senate seat that represents 28,000 people, only about 18,000 are registered and only a very small amount, about 1,000 voted.

It’s disappointing how although the USA is the leader of the free world, where so many have fought hard for the right to vote here and elsewhere, and women only earned theirs in 1920, that we are below many countries in voter turnout. That is why I proposed laws trying to make it easier for people to register and vote and wanted to propose more.

We need to address voter apathy and do better in informing people about elections and make it easier for voting. Campaigning is about getting the vote out (GOTV). That is getting out your voters, which requires help.

I love a challenge. As such, I decided to take on two good sitting councilmen. One grew up in Portsmouth, is: older, has a park in his name, got endorsement(s), married to a teacher, a Navy veteran, and he worked for one of the area’s largest employers for thirty years! He certainly got his voters out.

I worked hard and enjoyed great response, but unfortunately but did not enjoy the benefit(s) of such help. Perhaps it is because I am too independent for some. As an athlete in sports, I accept that losing is part of the game.

I commend all the candidates for their interest and efforts and recommend people, especially women (as we are still about 20% represented), to run for elected office, or to be involved.

Again I congratulate and support my Democratic colleague Jim Seveney, and hope he concludes his political career in the seat his father held.

Amy Rice
Portsmouth