search
Sections List
American Journal News

GOP Senate candidate skipped 61% of votes in a single year as state lawmaker

Yet Kevin Smith is calling New Hampshire Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan an ‘absent senator.’

By Josh Israel - February 11, 2022
Share
Kevin Smith

A New Hampshire Republican is accusing the Democratic incumbent he hopes to challenge in November of being an absentee U.S. senator. To judge by their respective attendance records in the U.S. Senate and the New Hampshire House of Representatives, though, Sen. Maggie Hassan’s is stellar, while Kevin Smith’s own as a state legislator apparently was not.

Smith, who served one term in the New Hampshire House in the 1990s, announced in January that he will resign from his job as Londonderry town manager and seek his party’s nomination for Hassan’s Senate seat. His campaign site says that he “is seen by national and local media as being one of the most influential conservatives in the Granite State.”

On Jan. 25, Smith tweeted from his campaign account, “@Maggie_Hassan has been an absent Senator. We deserve a Senator who cares more about what’s on the minds of hard working Granite Staters than kowtowing to the party bosses in Washington. #MaggieHasnt – I will. #NHSen #NHpolitics.”

Smith also shared a tweet by the right-wing NH Journal quoting his own comment that morning on a local radio show: “After #COVID19 hit, we heard many times from @SenatorShaheen. We didn’t hear once from Maggie Hassan in two years, asking about how Londonderry was doing during the pandemic.”

Hassan told Manchester TV station WMUR on Monday in response to criticism from Smith that she has frequently communicated with many officials from his hometown and others across New Hampshire throughout her term: “I had roundtables and was in constant contact with municipal leaders, mayors and town managers across the state. Sometimes those roundtables included people from Londonderry.”

While Smith did not specify what he meant in accusing Hassan of being “absent,” if one looks at her attendance record as a senator, the term hardly applies.

Since being elected to the Senate in 2016, Hassan’s attendance record has been close to perfect. According to ProPublica’s missed votes database, Hassan missed just 0.7% of the Senate’s votes in 2021-2022, 0.1% of votes in 2019-2020, and 0.5% of votes in 2017-2018. This put her consistently in the top third of senators with the best attendance.

According to a new analysis by the progressive research group American Bridge 21st Century, Smith’s attendance record as a legislator was not nearly as good. Their review of the New Hampshire House journal from the last year of his two-year term found that he missed 61% of floor votes in 1998.

Among those Smith skipped were votes on legislation concerning consumer protections, medical cannabis, air pollution, nursing home reimbursement, and education funding.

The Smith campaign did not immediately respond to an inquiry for this story.

Smith is one of a several announced GOP candidates hoping to face Hassan, according to Politics1.com.

National Republicans had heavily recruited Gov. Chris Sununu to run for the seat, but he announced in November that he would instead seek reelection. Former GOP Sen. Kelly Ayotte, who narrowly lost to Hassan six years ago, also declined to join the race.

In his explanation for opting against a run, Sununu candidly noted that the GOP senators urging him to run appeared generally “content with the speed at which they weren’t doing anything,” saying, “OK, so I’m just going to be a roadblock for two years. That’s not what I do.”

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


AJ News
Subscribe to our newsletter.
Read More
Forced to carry a dying baby, this Texas mother of four says she didn’t think it could happen to her

Forced to carry a dying baby, this Texas mother of four says she didn’t think it could happen to her

By Bonnie Fuller - March 28, 2025
Despite pleas from women and doctors, Texas may implement even more abortion restrictions

Despite pleas from women and doctors, Texas may implement even more abortion restrictions

By Bonnie Fuller - March 28, 2025
Maine gun safety advocates launch citizen initiative to pass ‘red flag’ law

Maine gun safety advocates launch citizen initiative to pass ‘red flag’ law

By Emma Davis, Maine Morning Star - September 19, 2024
GOP Senate candidate received a tax break for a townhouse she doesn’t live in

GOP Senate candidate received a tax break for a townhouse she doesn’t live in

By Michelle Griffith, Minnesota Reformer - September 10, 2024
New NC GOP chair flirts with bogus stolen election conspiracies

New NC GOP chair flirts with bogus stolen election conspiracies

By Jesse Valentine - April 19, 2024
Texas activists pushed abortion restrictions in NM cities and counties, records show

Texas activists pushed abortion restrictions in NM cities and counties, records show

By Austin Fisher, Source NM - March 04, 2024
AJ News
Latest
House Republicans roll out new plan to decimate Medicaid

House Republicans roll out new plan to decimate Medicaid

By Jesse Valentine - April 24, 2025
Trump White House plans to garnish wages of student loan borrowers

Trump White House plans to garnish wages of student loan borrowers

By Jesse Valentine - April 22, 2025
Megadonor embroiled in ethics scandal gave thousands to Winsome Earle-Sears

Megadonor embroiled in ethics scandal gave thousands to Winsome Earle-Sears

By Jesse Valentine - April 21, 2025
“I Was Terrified To Get Pregnant Again After Having to Flee Tennessee for a Life-Saving Abortion”

“I Was Terrified To Get Pregnant Again After Having to Flee Tennessee for a Life-Saving Abortion”

By Bonnie Fuller - April 21, 2025
Goldman Sachs: Trump’s tariffs will lead to job losses

Goldman Sachs: Trump’s tariffs will lead to job losses

By Jesse Valentine - April 17, 2025
Democrats take stand for wrongly deported Maryland man

Democrats take stand for wrongly deported Maryland man

By Jesse Valentine - April 16, 2025
North Carolina law would make it illegal for Democratic AG to sue Trump

North Carolina law would make it illegal for Democratic AG to sue Trump

By Jesse Valentine - April 11, 2025
Older Americans suffer under Republican slash and burn policies

Older Americans suffer under Republican slash and burn policies

By Jesse Valentine - April 09, 2025
Scott Brown got Trump’s tariff plans for New Zealand very wrong

Scott Brown got Trump’s tariff plans for New Zealand very wrong

By Jesse Valentine - April 08, 2025
Trump admin canceled Social Security contracts to punish Maine governor

Trump admin canceled Social Security contracts to punish Maine governor

By Jesse Valentine - April 03, 2025
Senate Republicans vote to eliminate cap on overdraft fees

Senate Republicans vote to eliminate cap on overdraft fees

By Jesse Valentine - April 03, 2025
Forced to carry a dying baby, this Texas mother of four says she didn’t think it could happen to her

Forced to carry a dying baby, this Texas mother of four says she didn’t think it could happen to her

By Bonnie Fuller - March 28, 2025
Despite pleas from women and doctors, Texas may implement even more abortion restrictions

Despite pleas from women and doctors, Texas may implement even more abortion restrictions

By Bonnie Fuller - March 28, 2025
Trump’s antiwar claims don’t hold up in leaked group chat

Trump’s antiwar claims don’t hold up in leaked group chat

By Jesse Valentine - March 28, 2025
Frontline Republican governors cheer on Department of Ed closure

Frontline Republican governors cheer on Department of Ed closure

By Jesse Valentine - March 26, 2025
GOP-led legislatures ramp up abortion restrictions

GOP-led legislatures ramp up abortion restrictions

By Jesse Valentine - March 18, 2025
HHS slashes vaccine research, amplifies misinformation

HHS slashes vaccine research, amplifies misinformation

By Jesse Valentine - March 11, 2025
Senate Republicans scrap consumer protections for payment apps

Senate Republicans scrap consumer protections for payment apps

By Jesse Valentine - March 10, 2025
Rep. Don Bacon admits he voted for Medicaid cuts

Rep. Don Bacon admits he voted for Medicaid cuts

By - February 28, 2025
Trump admin cracks down on affordable weight-loss treatments

Trump admin cracks down on affordable weight-loss treatments

By Jesse Valentine - February 27, 2025
Republican lawmakers are lying about Medicaid fraud

Republican lawmakers are lying about Medicaid fraud

By Jesse Valentine - February 26, 2025
Trump’s education pick: schools may lose funds for teaching Black history

Trump’s education pick: schools may lose funds for teaching Black history

By Jesse Valentine - February 13, 2025