WMUR 9 - Candidate for Governor Sununu Cites "Stagnated Economy' as State's Top Challenge

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By John DiStaso

Republican Chris Sununu does not hesitate for a second when he's asked to name the biggest challenge facing New Hampshire's next governor

"The economy," he said in an interview. "We have a stagnated economy. There is no doubt about it. We have massive regulation in the state. We have incredibly high business taxes."

"When was the last time we drove a major business into this state? It's been years," the Newfields resident said.

After three terms focusing on state contracts and judicial and agency head appointments as a member of the Executive Council, Sununu, 41, is running for governor.

With Gov. Maggie Hassan moving on to run for the U.S. Senate, Sununu is in a four-way GOP primary, while three candidates are competing for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination.

Currently, he said, "We're losing our competitive edge to Massachusetts and other states. I remind people all the time that we have 31 Republican governors in this country, which means you have 31 Republican governors who are governing with fiscal conservative ideals, a business mindset, business-centric vision, and they are driving businesses into their states."

"We haven't had that, and we're losing that battle," Sununu said. "We need a much more viable, younger workforce. When the 20- to 35-year-olds are leaving the state in droves, it leaves businesses really struggling to find a workforce."

"Having a governor that understands these issues, who lives and breathes them every day, who is a stakeholder in these issues, that's the most important thing in terms of driving our economy forward and making sure we're competitive as we go into the 21st century."

Sununu is one of eight children of former Gov. John H. Sununu and Nancy Sununu.

He grew up in a political family with his father being elected governor when Chris Sununu was 8 years old. Nancy Sununu is a former chairwoman of the state Republican Party.

When Chris Sununu was 28 years old, his older brother, John E. Sununu, was elected to the U.S. Senate. In 2010, Chris Sununu decided to delve into elective politics, and at age 34, he won a seat on the Executive Council, representing the Seacoast District 3.

Sununu grew up in Salem and is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a degree in Civil/Environmental Engineering. He worked for 10 years cleaning up hazardous waste sites. A lover of the outdoors, Sununu in 1998 hiked the Appalachian Trail from Maine to Georgia.

In 2010, Sununu led a group of investors, including his father and brother, in the purchase of the Waterville Valley Resort from California-based Booth Creek Resorts for what Sununu said at the time was less than $12 million.

Sununu became the resort's chief executive, overseeing a workforce he says totals about 800 people.

On the council, Sununu has emerged as a discerning official, often questioning agency heads at length about the contracts that are presented for approval. He has been criticized for questioning and at times opposing solar energy contracts but has defended his skepticism by saying he wants to ensure that funds for such projects are spent wisely.

Sununu's most controversial votes as a councilor have come on contracts to fund Planned Parenthood. He was the swing vote to withhold funding in August 2015 in the midst of a national controversy over videos depicting the sale of fetal tissue, but swung to the other side in June, becoming the deciding vote in awarding a $549,000 contract because, he said, charges against Planned Parenthood "have been dismissed by court order."

"While it could be politically expedient to do the opposite, at the end of the day we have to make sure that we are providing the best services for the women, especially low-income women, of the state," Sununu said in defense of his vote. "This contract provides that and I'm not going to stand in the way of it."

Overall, however, Sununu returns to the economy when talking about his plans as governor.

"I bring a uniqueness to this campaign in terms of my background, my experience as a father, as a business leader, as someone who grew up in New Hampshire in New Hampshire schools," Sununu said. "I'm working on these issues every single day."

"You have to be actively engaged to truly understand how the policies we implement in Concord are going to affect people's lives. That's the difference in terms of what I think I'm bringing to this race."

"Other folks who are running can talk about business experience," he said. "I'm the only one who is actually out there living and breathing it and responsible for 800 employees and 800 families."

"I'm the only one who has that perspective on what is affecting people today," Sununu said. "Today's business world is a heck of a lot different than what was going on five years ago, or 10 or 20 years ago. You have to be able to understand the issues from a 21st Century perspective."

As part of his economic plan, Sununu would reorganize the state economic development office to have it report directly to the governor and executive council, and he would "reduce and simplify" the state's business taxes.

He would implement a 90-day moratorium on new rules and regulations while meeting with 100 businesses in other states in the region to invite them to do business in New Hampshire. He calls for congressional repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act and push for allowing insurers to sell policies across state lines to increase competition.

Sununu opposes instituting a state minimum wage, but said he would be open to supporting adjustments, based on inflation, in the $7.25-an-hour federal minimum wage. But increasing it to $10 to $15, he said, would be "devastating to businesses."

He supports making New Hampshire a right-to-work state.

He would prioritize state funding of higher education to reduce college debt while strengthening partnerships between community colleges and New Hampshire businesses.

Sununu said that while New Hampshire has high property taxes, the benefit of having relatively low state taxes and no sales or income tax is that, "it does allow us to retain a lot of local control with our selectmen and our city councilors." He said that as governor he will focus on keeping energy costs low for elderly people on fixed incomes.

Sununu said that while he is not proposing new revenue sources, he will focus on prioritizing spending.

"We have needs in this state and we have wants," he said. He views infrastructure -- roads, bridges, projects to reduce energy costs, school building aid -- as the priorities.

"We have 2,000 miles of very poor roads and about 150 red-listed bridges," he said. The Interstate 93 widening project and Sarah Long Bridge have yet to be completed, he noted.

"These are where our priorities need to go," he said. "We have to make tough decisions to get those priorities done."

He opposes extending a commuter rail line from Boston to Concord, saying it is one of the state's "wants," but he said the train would primarily take people out of the state to jobs in Boston.

"A train to Manchester and Concord would be a nice "want,' but it's way down on the priority list. Real leadership is about making tough decisions and understanding what the real drivers are for all the citizens of our state."

On the drug crisis, Sununu says he has an aggressive program that begins in elementary schools.

"My program brings parents and caretakers in," he said. "What are the warning signs? What are the tools and resources you have if you spot a loved one or a youngster dealing with this issue?"

"We also need to make sure law enforcement has enough resources at their end of the spectrum," Sununu said.

Sununu's economic plan proposes state grants for recovery centers that offer career training and workforce readiness programs.

On education, Sununu favors local control, individualized programs for students and less focus on standardized testing. He advocates repeal of the federal Common Core program.

Sununu supports keeping the state's death penalty law intact.

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