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Ovide Lamontagne to enter U.S. Senate race
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By JOHN DISTASO
Senior Political Reporter
Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009
MANCHESTER – Ovide Lamontagne has made his long-awaited decision. Tomorrow, he'll officially become a candidate for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated next year by Sen. Judd Gregg.
The 52-year-old Manchester attorney, 1996 Republican gubernatorial nominee and long-time conservative activist has been weighing whether to run since March, talking to GOP and other grassroots groups.
He told the New Hampshire Sunday News on Friday that despite being far behind former Attorney General Kelly Ayotte in fund-raising, and despite a pledge to his wife, Elizabeth, not to spend any personal money on a campaign, he will seek the seat.
Lamontagne
Tomorrow's Lamontagne filings with the Federal Election Commission will be a statement of candidacy and the necessary campaign finance committee paperwork. He'll also unveil a new Ovide2010.com Web site and embark on what he described as an anti-establishment campaign.
"Not only is Washington broken, but Washington is in desperate need of changing fundamentally how it operates," Lamontagne said in an interview at the Devine Millimet and Branch law firm, where he has practiced since 1986.
Lamontagne will become the fourth candidate officially in the race, joining Ayotte and businessmen James Bender of Hollis and William Binnie of Rye. Sean Mahoney of Portsmouth, publisher of BusinessNH magazine and a New Hampshire GOP representative on the Republican National Committee, is still considering whether to run.
The lone Democrat so far in the Senate race is 2nd District U.S. Rep. Paul Hodes.
No self-funding
Lamontagne said he has done no polling. He has set up a tax-exempt "527" organization to raise what he called "small dollars" to explore a candidacy and to cover expenses associated with his Web site and "some consulting."
But, he said, "I cannot self-finance. The lady of the house won't let it happen. She said that if the market is not there for me to raise the dollars, I ought to reconsider."
He said he will rely on individual contributions but will also take PAC money, something he did not do during his campaign for governor, when he lost to Democrat Jeanne Shaheen after upsetting Republican former U.S. Rep. Bill Zeliff in a primary.
"I need to (accept PAC contributions) to be competitive," he said. "But no PAC is going to have control over me."
Lamontagne is also unconcerned that Gregg and some members of the Senate GOP leadership in Washington recruited Ayotte to run.
"I'm liberated by that," he said. "I don't want to be beholden to the national party or the party bosses. "I'll never be the establishment candidate. I'll always be the people's candidate.
"When you say that we should balance our budget, who's going to go down there and fight for that, and who's going to go down there and take orders from somebody in Washington who's got perhaps a different agenda?" he asked. "That will be an important litmus test, I think, for voters."
Emphasis on fiscal issues
Lamontagne said that since he ran for office at age 39, he has matured, "but I am still fundamentally a conservative. And on those fundamental principles, which I think are important to people now, I'm the same person that ran before."
While still a staunchly pro-life social conservative, Lamontagne said, "I'm not getting into this race for social issues. The real challenges are fiscal issues, which pertain to the runaway spending we have in Washington and the expansive growth of government.
"I'm not going to deny what I believe in on the social side. That is who I am. But my focus is going to be on economic issues facing the country," he said.
The GOP and its leadership "must take responsibility, as well as the Democrats, for where we are in this country," Lamontagne said. "Republicans abandoned some of the very core principles of our party, which is why we have lost. People have rightly questioned whether we're sincere."
He promised to fight for an end to earmarks and to propose a constitutional amendment mandating a balanced budget. He called for a constitutional amendment to give the President a line-item veto and for term limits of two six-year terms for senators and six two-year terms for House members.
He said he would try to repeal the federal stimulus law and phase out the Troubled Asset Relief Program, which "was basically writing a blank check to government and then disbursing money in ways that really were not accountable to the Congress and the people."
He said the stimulus is "nothing more than large pork-barrel spending. There was no real criteria used to design an approach to help the economy weather the storm."
Limited government role
He called for continuing the Bush tax cuts and simplifying the tax code "to relieve the burden on industry and small businesses."
Lamontagne, general counsel for the Catholic Medical Center in Manchester, opposes the Democratic health-care package that was scheduled to be voted on in the U.S. House yesterday.
"There's no justification for it," he said, calling for locally-designed, market-based, targeted solutions.
He said he continues to support the federal Medicare, Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income Programs and noted that federal law requires hospitals to treat patients in emergency rooms without consideration of their insurance coverage or ability to pay.
"No one is denied health care in America," Lamontagne said. "There is a safety net, and anyone who needs health care can get it," he said.
He called for zero-based budgeting.
"It's not enough to simply say that we're going to spend a little less and have to try to balance our budget. We have got to do it," he said.
Lamontagne said that for President Barack Obama to spend time in Copenhagen lobbying to have Chicago host the Olympic Games, "instead of spending time with his military advisers focusing on Afghanistan, is at best negligent, if not reckless. He has not kept his eye on the ball on job one for the commander-in-chief, our international strategies, particularly when we're deploying men and women" in harm's way.
Lamontagne said he would have opposed the nomination of Justice Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court. He said Obama "views the judiciary as an agent of change, advancing a liberal agenda that is contrary to where Americans want to be and what the Constitution provides."
He said the President has turned out to be "more of a big-government person than people were led to believe. People viewed this President as someone who was going to be moderate and temperate in how he exercised the power of the Presidency, and that's not what we're seeing."
►The Hill: Two of key 10 GOP primaries are in NH
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YOUR COMMENTS
This artilce describes someone who believes, at his core, in limited government and individual liberty. We need someone in Washington who can resist the argument that compassion equals granting government ever greater power over our lives. Ovide just might be that someone.
- eric falkenham, hopkinton
I've changed my mind, after reviewing a number of Ovide Lamontagne involvement in some of the issues, I cannot in good conscience vote for him, his involvement with the Diocese of Manchester in the Sex offender controversy where he defended the Bishop's stonewalling the AG's office over the release of all information on the pedophile priests and his present involvement in defending CMS's attempt at merging with a pro-abortion DHC has convinced me that Atty. Lamontagne's pretend conservative background is based on a bed of shifting beach sand colored by the size of his legal fees. No you are either a conservative with conviction not just only for pretend public consumption. Sorry Ovide you must practice what you preach to get my vote.
- Richard L. Fortin, Manchester
Attorney LaMontaigne states, "No one is denied health care in America. There is a safety net, and anyone who needs health care can get it." PROVE IT. Cancel your health plan and your family's health plan. When your child is in a car crash don't worry they'll be taken care of. When your wife has breast cancer don't worry she'll be taken care of. When you are diagnosed with MS don't worry, you're all set. Remember 'anyone who needs health care can get it." Good luck.
- ed, londonderry
Great !!!! another rich lawyer that wants to help ruin NH to further some hidden agenda. Oh come on.... Is this really the best we can do ?
- Pedro, Pembroke NH
He may very well be a good man but watch what he says and does to get the right-wing nutjob vote. That's the issue here. If he seeks the middle ground, he loses.
- Bob V, Manchester
Ovide Lamontagne is a good man, period. He is a conservative republican - not a "right wing nut", and the people of NH would be fortunate to have him as their Senator (and they should have tried him as Governor too).
All the other wailing and gnashing of teeth is just politics as usual.
He has my vote in the primary, and hopefully the general election (where it will be "anyone but Hodes").
Thank you for putting you and your family through all this to have people assail your character.
- Jim Gaudet, Manchester NH
This should be fun; another republican to try to out-kook the rest in a race to see which one can appeal to more of the right-wing nutjobs in this state.
- Bill, Concord
It's unfair to subject a lawyer to guilt-by-association. Like Jesus, all lawyers tend to be around sinners.
William of Dover, I echo your sentiments, but Shaheen's disservice to NH doesn't mean she's done in 2 years; this election is about replacing Judd Gregg.
In contrast to Duncan Leary, I read the editorial page completely, but gloss over the predictable national coverage from biased AP. Perhaps we could share a copy.
- Spike, Brentwood NH
Is it me, or do this guy, John Edwards, and Shoney's Big Boy visit the same barber?
- Justin, Manchester
When will people learn that liberal or so called middle of the road politicians have brought this country to where it is today. Conservatives are slow but careful to act. They don't embrace change for the sake of changing something that has worked for years. After seeing what liberals and middle of the road politicians have done, you'd have to be a complete fool to trust them again!
- Steve, Raymond
This is a joke you guys only post comments that agree with your positions.Let me let you in on a secret ....I use the editorial page as the lining for the bird cage
(Editor's Note: Thank you for your subscription, Mr. Leary.)
- duncan leary, bedford
When is the GOP going to realize that far right wing politics dosent win elections..You saw what happened last week in NY an ultra conservative cost you a seat that had been in GOP handa for 100 years.Now we see the same thing unfolding in NH....I love it when The republicans fight each other over a nomination..Right Wing or Die...sounds cathchy..Another loser down in flames
- duncan leary, bedford
Memo to all you radical Catholics out there.Religion has no place in politics and the Catholic Church has no business telling anyone what to do about health care. If CMC cant survive on its own then a merger of HC and CMC will give the city a second top notch hospital. We currently have one The Elliot.As for the political question....Whats the matter? Is Kelly Ayotte not concervative enough?
- DUNCAN LEARY, BEDFORD
Anything is better the Jean "vote the party line liberal" Shaheen. Ovide is just another option opposing the tax and spend attitude currently running through the US Senate. I'd vote for my dog over Jeannie.
- William, Dover
Sweet and simple--Ovide has my vote.
- JB, NB, NH
I've often joked that I was responsible for launching Ovide's political career when he defeated me for Freshman class president at Trinity High School. Although we both stayed fiscally conservative he on most issues is the social conservative and I the social liberal. Nevertheless, you know what you are getting when you vote for Ovide. A good man he is.
Greg Barrett
Kas-Bar Realty
- Greg Barrett, Manchester
Hey Jay,
Nice comments for Kelly, those are the same comments Bill Zeliff made to Ovide's campaign in 1996 and then he got bounced! Its a Republican primary and nobody has anointed Kelly Ayotte yet, she won't even put Craig Benson's name on her campaign literature, talk about loyalty. Don't count Ovide out and remember he doesn't have the baggage Kelly has....
- Jack Truman, Middleton
Ovide Lamontagne , Bishop McCormack's attorney for the Dartmouth Hitchcock affiliation/merger with CMC. Lamontagne is Bishop McCormack's Quisling attorney facilitating the Culture of Death takeover of CMC. {Quisling is a Norwegian term from WWII for anyone who sided with the Nazi's} Lamontagne betrayed our Catholic Faith.
- Jerry E Bergevin, Manchester
Ayotte is anti gun, she told Gov Lynch not to sign Castle Doctrine. She also is an elitist, blocked Jim Reams investigation of the on duty drunken brawl by the drug task force. Is that what we want in Washington DC?
Hardly
- Michael KIng, Epping
Ovide Lamontagne would make a good Senator and I will vote for him in the primary, my only concern is that he is deeply inviolved in the attempt of Alyson Pittman Giles attempt to sink CMC and put it under the complete control of DHMC because if that happens the next day CMC will begin to abort fetuses. Mr. Lamontagne has some explaining to do on this attempted sell out of the independence of CMC. You can't be pro-life and support the pro-choice abortion shenanigans of Giles and company.
- Richard L. Fortin, Manchester
I was very excited to wake up to this news. Ovide's principled beliefs of small government and fiscal responsibility are what we need. He will represent New Hampshire well and he will do what he can to protect the ideals that make America great and he'll be a voice of reason when Congress considers leveraging our children's future more than they already have.
- Jason Cole, Bedford
Ovide's decision to run a campaign that, for now, has no polling nor funding, reminds me of Bruce Williams' advice on radio for people seeking to start a business while keeping the security of their salaried job. It wouldn't be a bad idea except for the others who are making a more complete commitment. "Tiger," Bruce used to say, "they'll eat you up."
- Spike, Brentwood NH
"Save the stakes," you said. A lot of us did. Mine are stored in the garage back in Rye. Problem is, I don't live there anymore.
Good luck, Ovide. You will make a great Senator.
- Larry Gillis, Cape Coral FL
Ovide's a decent guy......but his run for senate is all about ego. Kelly is going to walk away with this election, and there is nothing Ovide, or any other republican can do about this. At least Ovide's wife knows what's up, and won't allow him to blow the family money. This run is a waste of his, and everyone's time. He will be bounced out of the election early. Perhaps his wife should run cause she seems to know the score.
- Jay Collins, Laconia
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