Fran Wendelboe

PolitickerNH.com

John H. Sununu speaking before Belknap County Republicans

LACONIA--Former Gov. John H. Sununu told Belknap County Republicans that Granite State Republicans must unite if they want to win in 2010.

"We have to come together. We are not entitled to fractions within the party," Sununu said Wednesday night. "Personality problems, philosophical differences within the party, we have to come together."

Fran Wendelboe, head of the New Hampshire Reagan Network, said that she "wholeheartedly" supports former Gov. John H. Sununu's decision to run for chairman of the New Hampshire Republican Party.

"I've known that his decision was pretty much final for quite some time now and I actually encouraged him to run and wholeheartedly support him," Wendelboe said in an e-mail to PolitickerNH.com.

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An argument between New Hampshire Republican Chairman Fergus Cullen and Fran Wendelboe, head of the New Hampshire Reagan Network, has taken center stage in the online comment section of The Union Leader.

The two were featured in today's Granite Status over allegations that Wendelboe is organizing an effort to replace state committee members with conservatives Republicans. It started earlier this week when Betsy Miller was replaced as the chair of the Merrimack County Republicans by Anne Copp, a prominent supporter of the Reagan Network.

State Rep. Fran Wendelboe (R-New Hampton) has launched a new website called "NH GOP Voice," which she says will serve as an alternative to what she calls an underperforming official New Hampshire Republican Party site.

Since Wendelboe announced the new site earlier today, the state party has updated its own homepage with a link to a Republican National Committee story on state Rep. Sherman Packard's (R-Londonderry) election as House Republican Leader.

State Rep. Fran Wendelboe (R-New Hampton) said that she will "honor" the vote for House Republican leader.

Wendelboe ran for the House Republican leader against state Reps. Gene Chandler (R-Bartlett) and John Reagan (R-Deerfield). Wendelboe dropped out after the second ballot and threw her support behind Chandler who lost to state Rep. Sherman Packard (R-Londonderry) on the third ballot.

CONCORD-- Minutes before the third ballot is scheduled to take place state Reps. John Reagan (R-Deerfield) and Fran Wendelboe (R-New Hampton) have withdrawn from the House Republican leader race, setting up a possible tie on the third ballot.

Wendelboe is threw her support behind state Rep. Gene Chandler (R-Bartlettt) and Reagan is supporting state Rep. Sherman Packard (R-Londonderry). If all votes stay true to the commitments they made on the second ballot it could result in an 80-80 tie.

CONCORD--A second ballot for House Minority Leader showed basically the same result as the first with state Rep. Sherman Packard (R-Londonderry) is still leading his opponents for House Republican leader, but still without the majority he needs to win. The caucus will now head to a third ballot.

Packard got 68 votes, state Rep. Gene Chandler (R-Bartlett) got 52 votes, state Rep. Fran Wendelboe (R-New Hampton) received 28 votes and state Rep. John Reagan (R-Deerfield) got 12 votes and one person wrote in the name Scamman but did not specify whether it was for Doug Scamman or his wife Stella Scamman.