Republican NH Gov. Sununu Allies Himself with Democrats on Redistricting Process

New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) has allied himself with Democrats on his state’s redistricting process.

On Thursday, Sununu promised to veto a Republican-designed redistricting map that would have benefited state Republicans by placing two radical Democrat members, Reps. Chris Pappas (D-NH) and Ann McLane Kuster (D-NH), in a head-to-head matchup in the second district. The map would also have removed the embattled Pappas from his stronghold in Manchester.

With Sununu’s veto pending, the state’s court is poised to draw the lines of the map, a move that Sununu may welcome. Yet Republicans in the legislature have asked the court to delay or end its mapmaking process. Many Republicans want the court to wait until the governor takes action.

“It would now appear that the Governor’s intent is to have maps resolved by the court, and it could be reasoned that this was his position all along. This is his prerogative, and it is unfortunate because this process does not convey a sense of working together in good faith,” Rep. Ross Berry (R-Manchester) said.

“He will now be solely responsible for circumventing the people’s elected representatives and sending this process to bureaucrats appointed by unelected courts who are not accountable to the people,” Berry added.

Before Sununu promised to veto the map, Senate Minority Leader Donna Soucy (D-Manchester) suggested the Democrats are more aligned with Sununu on redistricting than Republicans.

Vulnerable Pappas has also praised Sununu for blocking the Republican legislature from shaping maps that give GOP candidates an advantage. “I couldn’t agree more with Gov. Sununu,” said Pappas.

Some Republicans have accused Sununu of enabling Democrats because it benefits his own agenda of remaining the most powerful Republican in the state. House Majority Leader Jason Osborne (R-Auburn) suggested Sununu’s veto is selfish. “No ‘I’ in ‘Team,’” he said.

Sununu’s protection of Democrats in his state benefits House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s chances of retaining the House. Overall, Republicans have gained several districts throughout the nationwide redistricting process. But that gain appears to be only a few pickups. If redistricting in New Hampshire continues to benefit Democrats by court or gubernatorial action, the GOP will have less of a chance to retake the House in November.

The redistricting process must be decided by June 1, the first day of filing for the September primary.

Follow Wendell Husebø on Twitter and Gettr @WendellHusebø. He is the author of Politics of Slave Morality.