Are primaries good for the GOP?

After the dust settles from the election the question will be asked whether or not competitive primaries, in both congressional districts, benefited the Republican Party.

Did the primaries help or hinder voter outreach? What if there are lingering harsh feelings? Should the candidates have used tougher words on U.S. Rep. Paul Hodes (D-Concord) and U.S. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D-Rochester) instead of on each other? These are just some of the "what if" questions that will be examined after November, especially if Republicans fail to gain a congressional seat.

Another question is what role the party chairman should play in primaries? Besides staying neutral between campaigns, is there a point when the chair should intervene for the sake of the party?

New Hampshire Republican Party Chairman Fergus Cullen said that the party chairman should "potentially" step into primaries that are more focused on individuals rather than policy issues and cited the 2002 gubernatorial primary as an example.

"In the 2002 gubernatorial primary John Dowd, who was then head of the Republican Party, had a sit-down with the campaigns and laid out the boundaries of what was and was not acceptable," Cullen said.

When asked if he would, or already has, intervened in the recent spat between Jennifer Horn (R-Nashua) and Grant Bosse (R-Hillsboro) in their race for Congress, Cullen said, "the Bosse, Horn discussion was only seen by a handful of insiders. In 2002 it involved paid media so it was very well-known, so in that case the chairman got involved."

Fran Wendelboe, head of the New Hampshire Reagan Network, said primaries should remain focused on the issues.

"I think Fergus should always encourage civility," Wendelboe said. "Grant Bosse's question about how Jennifer Horn spent her money is a legitimate question but when it turns away from that then it's not acceptable. I assume Fergus did give a call into the candidates."

Cullen said he "absolutely" believes that primaries benefit his party.

"I absolutely believe it, there's no question about it," Cullen said. "The Democrats also used to have primaries but that's no longer the case."

Cullen said primaries force candidates to be sharper on the stump and work harder, especially in state races.

"If you don't have your plans down, your lines down by Labor Day, in many cases it's too late," Cullen said.

Wendelboe agreed with Cullen that primaries help the party and said most activists are able to work together after a primary.

"The 2002 race between John Sununu and Bob Smith was very competitive but for the most part people were able to come together afterwards," Wendelboe said. "This time around I don't see any major divisions within the party."

Wendelboe has endorsed former U.S. Rep. Jeb Bradley (R-Wolfeboro) but said "whoever is the nominee I will work hard for them."

Dean Spiliotes, a New Hampshire political analyst, also said that the congressional primaries would benefit the Republicans.

"If you have an interesting primary that can't be bad for the Republicans," he said, citing the fact it could help grassroots Republicans get involved.

Spiliotes added that the Republicans will probably unite after the primaries. "If there's a chance they could win the seat they'll unite behind someone."