Jim Merrill

Although 2008 saw the fall of several Republican heavyweights, it also gave birth to a group of Republicans who will shape the party, and New Hampshire, in 2009.

Below you will find a list of the top ten Republicans to watch for in the upcoming year.

A group of Republican activists have announced that they are postponing a meeting because of the recent ice story.

The meeting, titled "GOP Positive Look Forward," was scheduled to take place on Monday at Saint Anselm College but will now be held at a later date.

"It is appropriate under the circumstances that our focus be on our friends, families and neighbors, and taking care of their immediate needs first," Republican activist Jim Merrill wrote in an e-mail. "The response to this event has been tremendous, and we will be rescheduling the event to bring us all together to discuss next steps for the NHGOP."

The chairman of the New Hampshire Republican Finance Committee said that former Gov. John H. Sununu's decision to run for party chairman will improve the fund-raising efforts of the state party.

"I think it's a terrific decision and I am very enthusiastic about Governor Sununu's announcement," Republican political consultant Jim Merrill told PolitickerNH.com. "He is a legend in the Republican Party whose proven leadership record, high profile and impeccable conservative credentials will not only galvanize our base which is hungry to reclaim our core Republican principles with precision and clarity, but it will energize our fundraising efforts."

Two Republican consultants and the mayor of the largest city in New Hampshire have organized an invitation-only meeting for Granite State Republicans to get together and discuss ways to "move forward to 2010," PolitickerNH.com has learned.

The meeting, being billed as a "Working Meeting: A Positive Look Forward," is being organized by Jim Merrill, Neil Levesque and Manchester Mayor Frank Guinta. It is scheduled to take place on December 15th at Saint Anselm College's New Hampshire Institute of Politics.

A group of New Hampshire Republicans is generating momentum for U.S. Sen. John Sununu (R-Waterville Valley) to make a run for Republican National Committee Chairman.

The movement, titled "Draft Sununu," comes days after Sununu lost his re-election campaign to former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen (D-Madbury).

A reliable source said former Mitt Romney campaign manager Jim Merrill has received a few calls urging him to run for Republican Party State Chairman. My source also says if current chair Fergus Cullen decides not to seek another term Merrill will consider it, but until Cullen makes his decision Merrill will not give it much thought. 

Here is a list of potential candidates if Cullen steps aside

Tom Eaton
Jay Flanders
Will Infantine
Wayne MacDonald
Jim Merrill    
Steve Stepanek
Fran Wendelboe

Both major political parties in New Hampshire are organizing efforts to reach undecided voters and make sure their get out to the polls.

Kathy Sullivan, former New Hampshire Democratic Party chairwoman, and Jim Merrill, a Republican consultant, said get-out-the vote efforts have become more sophisticated since 2002, when the Republicans launched their "72 hour program."

HENNIKER--A prominent Republican political consultant said that the state's U.S. Senate race is "neck-to-neck" despite polls showing former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen (D-Madbury) leading current U.S. Sen. John Sununu (R-Waterville Valley).

Jim Merrill, a Republican consultant, and former state director for Mitt Romney's presidential campaign, also said that the debates show a stark difference between the candidates.

DERRY-- They might not be the "A-Team" but former U.S. Rep. Jeb Bradley (R-Wolfeboro) said at the Republican state convention that the "J-Team" will bring Republicans to victory in November.

According to Bradley, the "J-Team" is comprised of U.S. Sen. John Sununu (R-Waterville Valley), state Sen., and gubernatorial candidate, Joe Kenney (R-Wakefield), 2nd Congressional District candidate Jennifer Horn (R-Nashua) and Bradley himself, who is running in the 1st Congressional District.

The New Hampshire Republican Party has decided to reinstitute a finance committee that will help the state party raise money for the general election.

The committee will be chaired by Jim Merrill, Mitt Romney's former New Hampshire state director and currently a consultant for Devine Strategies.