Rich GirardPrimary Election 2022 Winner
Running forState Senate - District 20
in 2022
Running as Republican
A happy husband and proud father of 5, I am a problem-solver at heart. My focus has always been to work with people in meaningful ways that improve their lives, businesses and the condition of the broader community.
My late dad, “Mr. Girard from Southside,” taught me that “getting it right is more important than being right.” It’s a lesson I’ve taken to heart and used to guide my public service and professional life.
“Believe in Better!” has been my personal motto.
From the time I was graduated from Boston College in 1991, I has been intimately involved in helping to make Manchester a better place to live, work and raise a family. A fourth-generation Manchester native who was raised on the West Side, I served nearly six years as a mayoral assistant. One of my primary responsibilities was to track and testify on state legislation that impacted the city. Mine was a familiar face at the State House, a place I’ve returned to over the years to address legislative committees.
Because of my time as an alderman-at-large, charter commissioner and school committeeman at-Large, I understand that much of what the city and schools have to deal is what they’re told to do by Concord. Knowing what it’s like to be on the “receiving end ” of state action, I will always be on the lookout for neighborhoods, local property taxpayers and schools as state senator. I’ll also work hard to bridge the divide that often exists between City Hall and the State House.
I’ve been married to my wife Jennifer for 25 years. We have been very involved in raising our five awesome children: Dominic (22), Colette (21), Madeleine (20), Emeric (11) and Amelie (10). (We really couldn’t be more proud!) While we both have been involved in numerous community and professional activities over the years, our primary commitment has been to our faith, which we’ve nurtured at Ste. Marie Parish on the city’s West Side, and our family.
School Board at-Large (January 2016 – January 2020)
Committee assignments included:
2016-2018 Term:
• Chair, Committee on Finance
• Special Committee on Redistricting
• Special Committee on the Superintendent Search
• Committee on Curriculum and Instruction
• Committee on Buildings and Sites
2018-2020 Term:
• Chair, Special Committee on Union Negotiations
• Chair, Joint School Buildings Committee
• Committee on Finance
• Committee on Buildings and Sites
Charter Commissioner (November 2012 – July 2013)
• One of nine charged with reviewing and revising Manchester’s charter. Elected vice-chairman by commissioners.
Host, Girard at Large TV Show (1999-2003 and October 2007 – present)
• Airing on Manchester Pubic TV Channel 23, this weekly public affairs show is focused on the news and issues facing Manchester and New Hampshire.
Columnist, the Manchester Express (October 2007 – January 2010)
• Weekly column about various news and issue items in the city.
Member, Revolving Loan Fund Board (May 2009- October 2010)
• The board was tasked with reviewing applications for gap financing made available by the city to businesses that wanted to open, locate or expand within the city of Manchester.
Columnist, the Hippo Press (May 2003 – November 2003)
• Weekly column about various news and issue items happening in Manchester.
Alderman at-Large (January 1998 – January 2000)
Committee assignments included:
• Accounts, Enrollment and Revenue Administration
• Administration
• Community Improvement Program
Assistant to the Mayor (January 1992 – August 1997)
• Reviewed all bills proposed in the N.H. General Court and coordinated responses to those impacting the city.
• Reorganized legislative tracking efforts to improve information gathering, coordinate the city’s response and ensure department accountability.
• Oversaw the development of the mayor’s budget proposals.
• Reformed the budget process to create accountable cost center development that reduced the paperwork and procedural steps by half.
• Assisted the mayor in the day-to-day management of city government, which was comprised of multiple departments, commissions, boards, authorities, enterprise operations and the schools.
Current jobFinancial Services (December 2001 – Present) • Registered Representative • Investment Advisory Representative • Life Insurance • Personal Lines • Debt Management • Business retirement plans and related employee services Teamsters Local 633 (September 2019 – present) • I work the “Sunrise Shift” loading package delivery vehicles.
Girard at Large in the Morning (September 2011 – November 2017)
• Host and reporter for the award-winning local news/talk/political/community radio program all about Manchester, the surrounding towns and the State House.
Girard Marketing, LLC (November 1997 – March 2002)
• Worked mostly with small businesses and political campaigns to develop themes and messaging, marketing plans, advertising campaigns, collateral materials, Web design, copywriting, public and media relations.
Current residence283 Orange St. in Ward 2. I grew up in Ward 12, where my mom still lives.
Time lived in NHEntire life, almost 53 years.
HometownManchester
Boston College, 1991
• Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science with concentration in urban government
West High School, 1987
St. Paul’s School Advanced Studies Program, 1986
• Law and Government Program
Best way to contact candidatecontact@girardfornhsenate.com or 603-624-5668
WebsiteGirard for Senate
If elected or re-elected, please describe legislation you expect to sponsor or co-sponsor.
Legislation that would:
- Stop schools from hiding information from parents or lying about their children’s behavior in schools. (Parental Bill of Rights.)
- Stop biological boys from playing on girls sports teams or using female restrooms or locker rooms.
- Make it so that only legal permanent residents of NH can vote in our elections.
- Require abortion clinics to be licensed by the state and report procedure statistics like every other medical facility.
- Eliminating “catch and release” bail laws.
- Expanding school choice opportunities.
- Preventing financial institutions from using “social credit scoring” or other political considerations to deprive either citizens or legitimate, legal businesses of financial services or point of sale processing. Neither people nor businesses should be punished by banking, insurance or investment companies for their political beliefs or the causes they support, nor should they be forced to alter their businesses to conform to the financial institutions political point of view. Financial institutions must no longer be allowed to “cancel” people or businesses.
- Any bill that reduces or eliminates a tax.
What are the most important concerns you’ve heard from Manchester residents and how can you address those concerns if elected or re-elected?
Inflation (Biden-Flation), especially energy and food prices and illegal immigration/border security are what I’ve heard about from people.
On inflation, we can work hard to limit government spending so as to not add to the problem. How money gets spent matters, too. For example, we should use state surpluses to pad the state’s “Rainy Day Account.” With recession taking hold, having money socked away to offset any revenue shortfalls makes sense. Saving the money keeps it out of circulation so it’s not adding to inflation. It also makes sense to use that money to either pay down the state’s debt or avoid going into more debt to fund capital projects. Not going deeper into debt to fund planned projects is good for the taxpayer because we don’t have to pay interest on the debt and it’s good for the consumer because it doesn’t add to inflation.
On energy, we need a real “all of the above” approach, not one that simply spends ratepayer and taxpayer dollars on wind and solar, which are unreliable and will never be sufficient to meet basic power demands. Hydro, nuclear, trash to energy and clean fossil fuel power generation have to be included. We had the highest power costs in the nation before the Biden Administration’s anti-fossil fuel policies jacked up prices and that’s because of regulatory decisions made over many years.
Food prices have skyrocketed because farmers rely on diesel fuel to run the equipment on their farms and transport their goods to market. Fossil fuels, specifically natural gas, are critical to producing fertilizers, which have been scarce and costly. This will eventually lead to decreased crop production and even higher processes. I’m not sure what it looks like, but I’d like to see what can be done to facilitate more local “farm to table/local grocery store” connections so transportation costs are minimized. I’d also like to investigate what can be done to incentivize more local farming.
On illegal immigration, the state should outlaw sanctuary cities and require state and local law enforcement to determine the immigration status of any person they encounter and notify ICE of anyone they find who is here illegally. It’s one thing to be welcoming of immigrants and refugees who are here legally. It’s quite another to turn a blind eye or roll out the red carpet for those who are here illegally.
New Hampshire legislators are citizen legislators and being a legislator is a significant time commitment. How much time per week can you spend on legislative duties while the Senate/House is in session?
As has been the case with any office I’ve held, I will dedicate whatever time is needed to do the work that will be required of me. As I am self-employed, I will be able to adjust my schedule as needed.
How do you feel the current divisive political climate in the United States will impact the New Hampshire General Court over the next two years and how would you navigate that divisiveness in your duties?
It’s hard to say without knowing the outcome of the election. Whatever the landscape in Washington or Concord, I will do what I have always done: Focus on solving problems and work with whomever is genuinely interested in solving them. My experience has been that when we put fixing what needs to be fixed front and center and work with those who are willing to work it out, the dialogue changes, becomes constructive and things get better done.
What is the most significant issue facing Manchester residents at the municipal level and how can you, as a legislator aid the city government on that issue?
The rampant crime that’s resulted from the liberal sponsored “bail reform” that’s created a “catch and release” system that lets criminals back on the streets before police even finish the arrest paperwork. It’s clearly not working and has to change.
The capacity of the courts to process the volume of criminal and civil complaints needs to be addressed, too. The judicial system is often overlooked when it comes to effectively addressing crime. If more judges are needed, let’s take care of it.
Let’s also make it so that judges have to take seriously ordinance violations written by local law enforcement. Supposedly, local police and other ordinance enforcement officers say that the courts just toss their violation citations out. If that’s true, then it too must stop as there cannot be law and order without the courts properly adjudicating the complaints brought by local law enforcement.
In your conversations with voters, what is the most significant issue to them right now? How would you address that if elected or re-elected?
Crime, the cost of natural gas, heating oil, gas and diesel fuel along with grocery prices and inflation generally and border security. I have addressed these in my prior answers.
In your opinion, what were the five most significant pieces of legislation introduced over the last two years? Please explain what made them significant.
The State Budget: Clearly, the reductions in business taxes paid dividends as business taxes and economic activity surged well beyond expectations. Keeping spending in check and using reasonable revenue projections has put the state in the happy position of determining what to do with more than $400 million in surplus. It also has positioned the state to weather the coming recession produced by the reckless, inflation inducing spending and disastrous energy policies of President Biden and national Democrats; policies NH Democrats, including my opponent, have tried to push on our state.
Phasing out the Dividends and Interest Tax was also accomplished in this budget. This eventually eliminates a tax that punishes people for saving. This tax is one of the reasons so many of our senior citizens become residents of Florida. It doesn’t tax the savings they rely on in their retirement. Soon, New Hampshire won’t either.
As state senator, I will fight hard to maintain fiscal discipline, use realistic revenue projections, reduce taxes and keep spending in check.
Fetal Life Protection Act: Before this law passed, abortion was allowed at any time, for any reason up to the moment of birth in New Hampshire, making our’s one of the most extreme pro-abortion states in the nation. With the passage of this act, abortion is still allowed for any reason but not after the 6th month, except in the case of a fetal anomaly inconsistent with life outside of the womb or the mother’s life or physical health. Despite this, NH remains one of the most radical pro-abortion states in the nation.
As state senator, I will fight to protect this law, which every Democrat in the General Court opposed and also voted to eliminate in subsequent legislation to restore their radical abortion on demand until birth regime.
Parental Bill of Rights: There is no reason for schools to keep secrets from parents about their children’s behaviors and activities in school. None. That school districts in our state, like Manchester, have passed policies that do that, is unacceptable.
Also unacceptable are organizations like the NH School Boards Association, which is funded by taxpayer dollars paid through dues from member school districts, creating such policies and encouraging school boards to adopt them. Unfortunately, these lobbyists and “woke” school boards have so disenfranchised parents around the state that legislation is needed to correct the situation.
As a state senator, I will make sure that no “expert” bureaucrat gets between a parent and their child(ren).
Anti “CRT” Bill: Taxpayer dollars should never be used to train any public employee, especially school employees, in Critical Race Theory (CRT), which teaches that one race or sex or religion or…fill in the blank…is inherently superior or inferior to another, that one is inherently an oppressor or oppressed. This is indoctrinating people with discrimination. It is wrong. It is evil. It should not happen, especially with your tax dollars.
As state senator, I will fight to protect this law to prevent the use of taxpayer funds from teaching that people are inherently racist, sexist or any other “ist” based on their color, sex, creed, national origin or religion. As Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King said, let us judge people by the content of their character, not the color of their skin or any other characteristic.
Protection of Women in Sports and female facilities: It is unfair to young women to expect them to compete against biological boys who “identify” as women. Biology is what it is and we all know that males are physically stronger, faster and possess greater physical abilities than females.
As a father, I watched, with pride, as my daughter competed in nine sports seasons during her time at West High. She worked so hard to excel that I would find it both dispiriting and unfair if she had to compete against a biological boy. Women’s sports, locker rooms and bathroom facilities need to be sanctuaries for women, not opportunities for biological men.
The Leah Thompson’s of the world belong on men’s sports teams. As state senator, I will fight hard to make sure women have those well deserved athletic opportunities and safe spaces to themselves.
Bail Reform: The state’s “Catch and Release” bail system has predictably failed miserably. Criminals are released before the police finish the arrest paperwork, even in cases where they commit crime while out on bail. This is lunacy and has caused crime of all kinds to explode in Manchester, especially the so called “minor” crimes that are so detrimental to our quality of life.
As state senator, I will fight to restore sanity to our bail laws to deter and prevent criminals from running amok as they have since these reforms went into effect in 2017. Enough is enough!
