Posted on 09/29/2002 6:10:01 AM PDT by GraniteStateConservative
DUBLIN — Whither Bruce Keough?
The Dublin businessman and former Republican candidate for governor came within 4,300 votes of beating Craig Benson for the nomination, despite Benson’s record spending. Keough’s strength in the contest has led many to wonder what he plans to do next.
“Get John E. Sununu elected to the U.S. Senate,” Keough, 46, said Friday. “In fact, he has asked me to chair the fund-raiser with President Bush on Oct. 5 when he comes to Manchester.”
Keough said he met Sununu at the Republican unity breakfast following the primary, and volunteered to help his campaign.
“He called me not long after to ask me to do this,” Keough said. “I’ll stump for him if he wants. Getting elected is a big task.”
Keough said that recent grumblings from the supporters of defeated U.S. Sen. Bob Smith that they plan to launch a write-in campaign to re-elect him, and even assist the Democratic nominee, Gov. Jeanne Shaheen, would probably not hurt Sununu.
“I think John’s received a lot of support from Smith’s supporters,” he said. “It’s not unusual for dispirited, ardent supporters to act on their feelings, but most of them will conclude that it doesn’t serve their purposes, or anyone else’s, to elect Jeanne Shaheen to the U.S. Senate. I think that Bob Smith has committed not to elect her.”
Keough said he hasn’t formulated his own political plans just yet.
“I’ve gotten a tremendous amount of e-mails about the next election,” he said. “A lot of work goes into wrapping up a campaign; you don’t just flick a switch and darken the office. I have to thank so many people who’ve committed their time and resources. I have notes to answer and phone calls to return.”
Keough now has the skeleton of a statewide organization in place, though.
“I’d be surprised if I didn’t run for something else at this point,” he said,” but I haven’t really thought about it. Right now, I’m interested in getting solid Republican majorities in the state House and Senate.”
Keough served a term in the state Senate in 1995, and found not much difference between campaigning in his district and campaigning across the state.
“The issues are the same everywhere,” he said. “My message of fixing the education funding system was just as important in Berlin as in Bedford. Even local races are dominated by similar issues, such as transportation.”
Despite coming so close, Keough said, he is proud of his campaign.
“I have no regrets,” he said. “It was a great experience. I’m gratified that so many people want to get started on the next one right away, but I think that right now we should focus on getting Republicans elected.”
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