Though it’s still 2015, the 2016 presidential campaign is underway. The field is already crowded, and to help you keep track, we’re compiling this guide to recognizing candidates outside their natural habitats.
by Larry Clow, photos by Roger H. Goun
The Candidates: Bernie Sanders, Ted Cruz, George Pataki
Species: Sanders: senator (Ind., running as Dem.); Cruz: senator (Rep.); Pataki: former governor (Rep.)
Primary habitats: Sanders: Vermont, Washington, D.C.; Cruz: Texas, Washington D.C.; Pataki: New York
Description: As the New Hampshire Primary draws closer, communities around the state will find once predictable local ecosystems suddenly disrupted as candidates descend on towns and cities. While these ecosystems contain vital resources, candidates also use them as a way to further amplify their messages.
Such was the case in Exeter on May 28, where Republican former New York governor George Pataki officially kicked off his presidential campaign with an event at the town hall and a lunch with voters at the nearby Me & Ollie’s sandwich shop. In a field of extremely conservative candidates with active political resumes, Pataki is something of an outlier. A centrist (as governor, Pataki was pro-choice, opposed same-sex marriage, restored the state’s death penalty, and made environmental conservation a priority) who left office in 2006, Pataki seemed to let the location of his first official campaign event help situate himself into a pack of candidates who spend much of their time questioning each others’ credentials (Exeter bills itself as the birthplace of the Republican party).
Republican George Pataki in Exeter
Vermont senator Bernie Sanders’ visit to Portsmouth on May 27 similarly used location — in this case, the historic South Church — to great effect. Before a packed audience on a humid night, Sanders stood at a podium and laid out in a fire-and-brimstone-esque speech what he called a “progressive agenda” that included campaign finance reform, stopping the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, overturning Citizens United, free tuition at public colleges and universities, single-payer health care for all, and a $15 minimum wage.
Democrat Bernie Sanders in Portsmouth
Candidates may also appear with similar native species in order to attract voters. During a two-day visit to New Hampshire last week, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz appeared on stage with Sen. Kelly Ayotte and former New Hampshire House Speaker (and current state representative) Bill O’Brien, who is also the co-chair of Cruz’s New Hampshire campaign. The appearance was notable because O’Brien, a member of the ultra-conservative wing of the state’s party, has recently been publicly critical of Ayotte, particularly over her calls for Congressman Frank Guinta to resign following a finding against him by the Federal Election Commission. At the event, Cruz appeared eager to stay out of the conflict; according to a WMUR report, the senator called Ayotte “a friend” and Guinta “a good man.”
Republican Ted Cruz in Manchester
Similar to: Expect more governors and senators in the state soon. Democrats will add another former governor to their mix this week, as Rhode Island’s Lincoln Chaffee is expected to make his 2016 bid official. Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham will be in Portsmouth on June 3 at the Roundabout Diner, and Republican Ohio governor John Kasich will be in the city for a business roundtable on June 4.