NASHUA, N.H. — Last week, the Ayotte campaign announced its launch of a Manchester for Kelly coalition. Chaired by Mayor Jay Ruais, the coalition includes a wide range of Manchester public officials, business owners, community leaders, volunteers, philanthropic leaders, and Queen City residents supporting the Governor’s re-election campaign.
“When Manchester calls, Kelly Ayotte answers and delivers,” said Mayor Jay Ruais, Manchester for Kelly Chair. “When Concord proposed $10 million in cuts to our schools, Kelly stopped them. When a broken bail system let dangerous criminals remain on our streets, Kelly fixed it. Our city is safer and better off thanks to Governor Ayotte’s leadership, and that’s why I am voting for Kelly.”
Manchester for Kelly Coalition:
- Mayor Jay Ruais, Chair
- Executive Councilor John Stephen
- Former Mayor and Executive Councilor Ted Gatsas
- Former Executive Councilor Earl Rinker
- State Senator Victoria Sullivan
- Former State Senator Bobby Stephen
- Former State Senator Richard Ferdinando
- State Representative Mark Proulx
- State Representative Kathleen Paquette
- State Representative Larry Gagne
- State Representative Steve Kesselring
- State Representative Brian Cole
- State Representative Mark McLean
- Hon. Will Infantine
- Hon. Bill O’Brien
- Hon. Jon Morton
- Hillsborough County Commissioner Toni Pappas
- Alderwoman Crissy Kantor
- Alderwoman Kelly Thomas
- Alderman Norm Vincent
- Alderman Ed Sapienza
- Former Alderman Joe Kelly Levasseur
- Tom Colantuono
- Norri Oberlander, North End Properties
- Mark Aquilino, Outdoor Pride Landscaping
- Gus Fromuth, Freedom Energy Logistics
- Ben Gamache, Gamache Properties
- Bob Werner, Werner Mazda
- Charlie Morgan, Morgan Storage
- Laura Morgan, Morgan Storage
- Dick Anagnost, Anagnost Companies
- Eliot Lawrence
- Brittany Ping
- Ken Tassey
- Mary Tenn, Tenn & Tenn PA
- Jim Tenn, Tenn & Tenn PA
- Tony Caparo
- Rick Botnick, E&R Cleaners
- Brian Mikol, Spectrum Marketing
- Chris Schleyer, Elm Grove Companies
- Matt Menning, Elm Grove Companies
- Newton Kershaw, Elm Grove Companies
In 2024, Governor Ayotte carried Manchester by nearly 2,000 votes despite running against former Mayor Joyce Craig, due in large part to her grassroots strength in the community.
How Governor Ayotte Delivered for Manchester:
- Protected Manchester Schools: Fought against and successfully reversed a proposed $10 million cut to Manchester schools, protecting critical funding for students and educators.
- Invested in Mental Health Services: Delivered $12 million in funding for the Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester to strengthen services and support individuals and families in need.
- Protected Homelessness Services: Successfully advocated to reverse proposed federal funding changes that would have harmed homelessness services in Manchester.
- Supported Workforce Development: Advocated against federal changes that would have closed the Manchester Job Corps program, protecting valuable workforce training opportunities.
- Strengthened Public Safety: Fixed the state’s broken bail system, ending the revolving door for violent criminals and helping keep communities like Manchester safe.
- Addressed the Housing Crisis: Passed new laws to speed up housing construction, cut red tape, and expand housing opportunities, including allowing the conversion of empty office space into housing.
- Mobilized Emergency Food Support During Federal Shutdown: Partnered with DHHS and the New Hampshire Food Bank to launch mobile food pantries and food box distribution sites across the state, ensuring SNAP recipients and families impacted by the federal government shutdown had continued access to food assistance.
- Supported Granite Staters in Recovery: Strengthened programs that help Granite Staters recovering from substance use disorders, including the Doorways program, which connects individuals to treatment and recovery services, and the Recovery Friendly Workplace initiative, which helps businesses support employees in recovery.
###
