Packard chosen as new Speaker of N H House conwaydailysun.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from conwaydailysun.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
CONCORD â âI know I can speak for everyone when I say I never expected to be in this position,â Rep. Sherman Sherm Packard (R-Londonderry) said Friday afternoon after his party nominated him to serve as the next Speaker of New Hampshire s House of Representatives when members are scheduled to convene on Jan. 6.
Packardâs selection comes nine days after Dick Hinch (R-Merrimack) died as a result of COVID-19.
His death came Dec. 9, a week after being elected Speaker by the full House in an outdoor ceremony at the University of New Hampshire in Durham.
Packard, 71, who has served 15 terms in the House, was Hinchâs choice for deputy Speaker, and stepped into the role as acting Speaker following his friendâs death.
By Michael Graham
I gave Dick Hinch the nickname Rock Star, and I predict that in the next few months, New Hampshire Republicans are going to become aware of why I did.
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Is there a tougher job in New Hampshire politics or, for that matter,
American politics– than being the caucus leader of the NH House Republicans? The idea of a 400-member, all-volunteer legislature is itself a recipe for disunity and legislative disaster. Now add the divisive dynamics in the modern GOP, with members ranging from get-along, go-along pro-business types to Live Free or Die libertarians.
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Leading the House Republicans has been compared to herding cats, but I reject that description unless a third of the cats are high on Liberty Caucus catnip and at least a handful are on fire.