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: Ben Carson, Martin O’Malley, Donald Trump
Description: The months of May and June are growth seasons for official and potential presidential candidates. As the days grow longer and the weather warms, candidate activity increases, particularly among those who may not be familiar to New Hampshire voters and wish to attract attention to themselves.
Republican Ben Carson
Author, conservative commentator, and former neurosurgeon Ben Carson is one of those candidates. His campaign began on May 4, and, in keeping with his previous occupation as a surgeon, launched with the slogan, “Heal, inspire, revive.” On May 10, he hosted a rally at Manchester Community College in Manchester, where he presented his lack of political experience as advantageous. Much of Carson’s speech focused on the Affordable Care Act. He is a vocal opponent of the ACA (he calls it a “looming disaster”) and believes individual health savings accounts and catastrophic insurance coverage will bring health care costs down. Expect more sightings as Carson attempts to make himself a familiar presence with voters.
Democrat Martin O'Malley
Former Maryland governor Martin O’Malley has taken a different approach. During a May 13 house party in Durham hosted by Dudley Dudley, O’Malley was coy about whether he will launch a campaign. In fact, O’Malley has taken great pains to publicize his decision-making process. The potential candidate’s social media campaign is asking supporters to sign up for an email announcement that will let them know O’Malley’s decision “before the media, the politicians and the Washington establishment.” That decision is expected at the end of the month. Future sightings are likely, as O’Malley appears poised to present himself as an alternative to Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. In order to further distinguish himself, O’Malley could appear to Granite State voters with a guitar in hand — he’s been a member of the Celtic rock band O’Malley’s March since the late 1980s.
Republican Donald Trump
Also recently seeking attention from Seacoast voters was Donald Trump. Like O’Malley, Trump has been ambiguous about his presidential plans. His increased activity in the area points to a campaign run, however. On May 14, he participated in a roundtable talk with local business owners in Portsmouth and followed that event with a town hall meeting at Barrington Middle School. There, Trump displayed behavior common among candidates trying to distinguish themselves, including aggressive attacks on other candidates, excessive self-promotion (according to a Foster’s Daily Democrat report, Trump criticized U.S. negotiators and plugged his book, “The Art of the Deal,” simultaneously), and drawing attention to plans to officially announce his candidacy in June.
Similar to: Among Democrats, former Rhode Island governor Lincoln Chafee, former Senator Jim Webb, and vice president Joe Biden have been identified as potential candidates, though only Biden currently has a visit to New Hampshire planned (for May 28 in Milton). Expect Republican Jeb Bush to increase his efforts to woo Granite State voters; the former Florida governor has six appearances scheduled in the state within the next week, including visits to Portsmouth on May 20 and May 27.
Range: As more campaigns launch within the next two months, candidates will likely split their time between New Hampshire and Iowa, as they seek to establish habitats and gather resources in both states.
