Testerman Launches New Hampshire Gubernatorial Bid For 2022

Concord NH

26 July, 2021

4:49 PM

Description

FRANKLIN, NH — While signups for the 2022 gubernatorial primary are about nine months away, at least one candidate is throwing her hat in the ring early. Karen Testerman, a long-time Republican and conservative activist, said she will be a candidate in 2022. She said she was accepting "the call from America first Republicans" across New Hampshire to run again. Testerman primaried Gov. Chris Sununu in 2020, along with "Nobody," the pro-marijuana activist previously known as Rich Paul. The Franklin city councilor, former Republican county chairwoman, and founder of Cornerstone Action, a nonprofit civic organization created to promote and protect families, faith, and freedom in New Hampshire, received around 9.3 percent of the vote — while "Nobody" garnered a little less than 1 percent. The next governor's race, however, is presumed to be an open seat for the corner office in New Hampshire, since Sununu appears to be angling for a race against U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan — although Sununu has not ruled out another run for governor. "I cannot continue to idly sit by while a Republican In Name Only (RINO) Governor Sununu, allows the liberties and freedoms of the citizens of New Hampshire to be eradicated in a way never before seen in our country," she said. Testerman sees forced vaccinations and voter fraud as the two main threats to New Hampshire residents, adding that Granite Staters were "in grave danger of potentially being fired or canceled by businesses whose CEOs have no problem acting like Nazi Gestapo agents." Testerman stated, "Forcing somebody to decide between starving or potentially dying from the side effects of the COVID vaccine is not only illegal, unconstitutional and a violation of the HIPPA law, it is also banned by the Geneva Convention (forced medical experiments against unwilling human beings)." She said immediate executive action was needed to protect residents calling forced vaccinations "evil" and "un-American." Testerman said, after the Windham election audit, it was "painfully clear" votes are not being counted accurately by the New Hampshire's AccuVote optical scanning machines. She also pointed to the 2020 election results where voters re-elected Sununu by a two-to-one margin and flipped the House and the Senate to Republicans but President Donald Trump lost the state by about 7 percent of the vote. "(It) is not believable in light of the Republican wave," she said. "It does not pass the smell test." About one-third of communities in the state count ballots by hand but Testerman said the rest of the state should, too, adding she would do everything in her power to restore election integrity. If Sununu does not run, the 2022 GOP primary is bound to have a few candidates. Former U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte, of Nashua, who was also previously the attorney general, has expressed interest in running as has Frank Edelblut, the commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Education, of Wilton. Executive Councilor Ted Gatsas, of Manchester, who ran against Sununu and Edelblut in 2016 for the open seat, is also talked up as a possible candidate, as is state Sen. Chuck Morse (R-Salem), the president of the Senate. On the Democrat's side, both former state Sen. Dan Feltes and Andru Volinsky, the former District 2 Executive Councilor, who both ran in 2022, have been listed as potential candidates as has Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig, former state Sen. Molly Kelly of Keene, who ran in 2018 and others. Got a news tip? Send it to [email protected]. View videos on Tony Schinella's YouTube.com channel or Rumble.com channel. Follow the New Hampshire Patch Politics Twitter account @NHPatchPolitics for all our campaign coverage.