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"Economy, energy and foreign policy top issues for Bob Bestani of Newmarket"
By Joshua Clark, newsletter@seacoastonline.com - October 9, 2009
NEWMARKET — A face familiar to Newmarket residents may become well-known in our nation's capital in just over a year.
Resident Bob Bestani will be among the Republican candidates seeking to replace Democratic incumbent Carol Shea-Porter as New Hampshire's 1st District congressional representative when the general elections are held on the first Tuesday, November 2010.
Currently a visiting scholar at the Collaboratory for Research on Global Projects at Stanford University, Bestani has worked for a variety of Fortune 100 companies in international banking and corporate finance.
Until May of 2008, he served as the director general of private sector finance at the Asian Development Bank, a multilateral bank dedicated to alleviating poverty in Asia.
Under President George H.W. Bush, Bestani served as deputy assistant secretary for international monetary affairs in the Department of the Treasury. During that time he was involved with the G-7 negotiations, and the Paris and Houston Presidential Summit meetings, several international trade and financial services negotiations, the management of America's $20 billion foreign currency reserve position, and policy coordination with the Federal Reserve.
Bestani holds an MBA in finance from the University of Chicago and a BA in economics and computer science from Rutgers University.
He is also a member of the Republican State Committee and chairman of the Finance Committee of the Rockingham County Republican Committee.
Bestani said what sets him apart from his competitors, both Republican and Democrat, is his extensive experience in each of the three key issues facing the nation — the economy, energy and foreign policy.
"No one running truly understands the economy, energy sector and foreign policy," he said. "They have more political ambition than real-world experience."
That lack of experience, Bestani said, results in representatives being more apt to follow party lines and "say what Washington wants them to say."
"I don't want to be a career politician," said Bestani, "so for me there isn't that same kind of pressure.
"I have absolutely no desire to become Washington's representative to the state of New Hampshire," he said. "I want to become New Hampshire's representative to Washington and speak for the betterment of my state no matter what the popular sentiment among politicians is."
He has also made his presence felt at home in Newmarket, where he has lived for over a decade, as the chairman of both the Municipal Audit and Energy Committees, and as a member of the Municipal Budget Committee.
Bestani said he has brought the same attitude and outlook to his work on the Municipal Budget Committee that he would bring to Congress; a push for lower taxes and smaller government.
"I've argued for less spending by the town of Newmarket, and that same mentality would most assuredly be applied on a federal level," he said.
"With everything that is going on around them taxpayers cannot bear the burden of higher taxes," he said. "The economy, by far, is the biggest challenge facing not only the citizens of New Hampshire, but also the entire nation.
"There is a palpable sense of nervousness in our economic markets," said Bestani, "and that same anxiety is certainly within individual businesses and people as well."
Through his work with the Energy Committee, Bestani has been a vital part of the group looking to incorporate innovative energy solutions to the town, from calling for an audit of all town buildings to determine how to become more energy efficient to requesting a study on the amount of energy, which could be produced by the Newmarket Dam.
If the dam were able to produce enough hydro-electric power, it would serve to reduce the town's energy costs and consumption, said Bestani. The town would also benefit by selling excess electricity to the regional grid.
Going forward in the race, Bestani said the biggest obstacle to his campaign will be name recognition. With incumbent Carol Shea-Porter expected to run again and the candidate receiving most of the publicity in the Republican Party being Manchester Mayor Frank Guinta, Bestani said he will have an arduous road ahead.
In order to integrate himself more fully into the public's awareness Bestani has been writing numerous oped pieces for local newspapers, blogging on his web site, travelling to various functions across the district and reaching out to voters with phone calls.
"Name recognition is not a criteria for holding high office," he said. "My vast experience and knowledge is what sets me apart from the rest of the field."
Those interested in learning more about Bob can visit his web site at http://www.bobbestani.com.
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"Public needs to see Guinta, Bestani debate"
seacoastonline.com - Opinion, November 26, 2009
Nov. 20 — To the Editor:
Republican congressional candidate Bob Bestani has repeatedly offered to debate his Republican primary opponent Frank Guinta. Bestani proposes to meet Guinta monthly until the primary, on each occasion discussing a different issue. Guinta has totally ignored Bestani's challenges to debate.
Recently, Guinta held a public meeting on health care reform. Put to its best use, this occasion would have allowed the two leading Republican candidates to debate and discuss health care, the pre-eminent issue before the American public. However, Guinta would not allow Bestani to take the stage with him, permitting Bestani to attend only as a member of the audience.
In response, Bestani sent an e-mail to Mike Biundo, Guinta's campaign manager. Copies of this e-mail were made available to the public. Bestani wrote in part, "I have repeatedly suggested that Frank and I actually discuss the issues side by side. Unfortunately, Frank keeps rejecting the offer. Elections are essentially about 'comparison shopping' for the electorate. I can only think he is reluctant to debate me for fear that he would not show well in such a comparison. If he is truly confident of his views and positions, I would imagine that he would be eager to demonstrate this in front of an open audience — especially since his poll numbers are dropping."
I quite agree the public would be well-served by debates between Guinta and Bestani.
Richard Doyle
Hampton, New Hampshire
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"Another Republican Enters Race for Shea-Porter's Seat"
By Shira Toeplitz, blogs.cqpolitics.com - November 30, 2009
A third Republican is reportedly filing to run for Rep. Carol Shea-Porter's (D-N.H.) seat, a move that further complicates the GOP's chances of taking back the competitive 1st congressional district in 2010.
Businessman Richard Ashooh told the New Hampshire Union Leader today that he plans to file the appropriate paperwork with the Federal Election Commission this week to open an exploratory committee, but he will make a final decision about a bid in the first three months of 2010.
Ashooh is the third competitive GOP candidate to file for the seat, joining Manchester Mayor Frank Guinta and fellow businessman Bob Bestani in the race. A competitive September primary could be devastating to New Hampshire Republicans and the National Republican Congressional Committee, which recruited Guinta to run for the seat.
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"GOP congressional field grows: Guinta faces fight for nomination"
By SHIRA SCHOENBERG, Concord Monitor staff, December 06, 2009
Republican Frank Guinta has been campaigning for the 1st Congressional District seat since May. He had raised $236,000 by September. He is the two-term mayor of New Hampshire's largest city.
But that hasn't stopped other candidates from challenging him for the Republican nomination. BAE Systems Vice President Rich Ashooh announced last week that he was forming an exploratory committee. Ashooh, a longtime political activist who has served on numerous state boards, has both the political ties and the money to be a serious contender.
Businessman Bob Bestani, who has experience in banking, energy and finance, has been traveling the district since January. Former state party chairman Fergus Cullen said last week he's thinking of running, too. Lesser-known activists Michael Castaldo and Peter Bearse are talking about running. And other Republicans are said to be considering it.
"What Rich's entrance means for Republicans is that there are likely to be even more people that are going to think about jumping into this race," said former 1st District congressman Jeb Bradley.
Several Republican activists and independent analysts say the growing field points to several factors. One, incumbent U.S. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter, a Democrat, is seen as vulnerable. Two, no Republican candidate is seen as a sure winner.
Guinta comes into the race with plenty of advantages. He has significant name recognition and, as Manchester mayor, a base of support in the district's most populous area.
He also has accomplishments in elected office.
"Obviously, Mayor Guinta has a four-year record as mayor of Manchester, and he's going to use that as an asset," Bradley said.
State Rep. Fran Wendelboe, a Republican from New Hampton, said the biggest factors in the race are money and electability - which often comes down to name recognition. Guinta has been raising money early. And, she added, "Obviously, Guinta has the name recognition above any of those candidates."
The national Republican Party has been enthusiastic about Guinta.
"He was designated as a potential up-and-coming candidate," said independent analyst Dean Spiliotes.
On Friday, Guinta received the endorsement of Virginia Rep. Eric Cantor, the Republican whip in the U.S. House.
But Spiliotes said the number of other candidates indicates that a Guinta nomination cannot be taken for granted early.
The most objective measure of a candidate's performance so far is fundraising, said Dante Scala, associate professor of political science at the University of New Hampshire.
"Guinta's fundraising numbers haven't been formidable enough to chase people out of the race," Scala said.
Guinta's $236,000 September fundraising figure was much higher than Bestani's - who raised only $50,000. But Shea-Porter took in $391,000. In comparison to the 2nd Congressional District, Guinta took in less than the $343,000 raised by Democrat Ann McLane Kuster, the only congressional candidate in that race who had done serious fundraising as of September. She has never held office.
Spiliotes said Guinta had some public relations stumbles, most notably, leaving the scene of a bar fight, and faced tough issues in Manchester, largely due to the difficult economy.
"We haven't seen any groundswell behind him as the obvious favored candidate in the party," Spiliotes said.
A base in Manchester can also be seen as an advantage or a liability. While it comes with a huge population of potential voters, former state senator Bob Clegg said, people in smaller towns may think a big city representative doesn't represent them. Guinta lives in Manchester, and Ashooh was born in Manchester and lives in Bedford.
In an e-mail, Cullen said demographics could help him.
"With Rich Ashooh's decision to join the race, some think that having two conventional conservatives from Manchester could create a path for a fiscally conservative, socially inclusive candidate with ties to the Lakes Region and Seacoast," Cullen wrote.
Former GOP chairman Wayne Semprini said, "Whenever you have a lot of people dipping into the same constituencies, that changes the complexity of the race."
Bradley, for example, was helped in 2002 by being the only Lakes Region candidate in a crowded field.
On the other hand, both Wendelboe and Clegg said Cullen would face other obstacles in winning the nomination - most notably, public and private clashes with Republican Party leaders.
Ideologically, it is not yet clear how the various candidates would line up, though all would likely run as fiscal conservatives.
Spiliotes said if Ashooh or others emerge as serious primary challenges, he would advise Guinta to "redouble fundraising and roll out high-profile endorsements."
Guinta spokeswoman Alicia Preston said Guinta already has 250 county co-captains, almost a year before the race.
"Frank is going to continue doing what he has been doing. He's had a lot of success with a focus on grassroots," Preston said.
Several Republicans also caution against reading too much into the growing field. When there was an open seat in 2002, eight candidates ran. GOP spokesman Ryan Williams said the party welcomes primaries and is committed to having civilized debate.
"It's an indication people realize this is going to be a strong year for Republicans," he said.
Some said the growing Republican field mostly means Shea-Porter is viewed as vulnerable. Midterm elections often favor the party in opposition, and Congress and the president have faced growing criticism on health care reform and the deficit.
"Shea-Porter is vulnerable both by virtue of her voting record and the direction of the country in terms of an unemployment rate of 10.2 percent, the deficit exploding and a health care plan that nobody seems to want," Bradley said.
Scala said the 1st District is often a bellwether.
"The national environment looks poor for congressional Democrats right now," Scala said.
Democratic Party spokesman Derek Richer said the growing field means the Republican base is divided.
"A fractious, contentious Republican primary is only good for the congresswoman," he said.
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"Bestani Releases Fundraising Figures: Republican Hopeful Raised $100,000 Last Year"
WMUR.com - January 15, 2010
CONCORD, N.H. -- Republican Bob Bestani has released fundraising numbers in his congressional race for New Hampshire's 1st District.
Bestani reported raising $50,000 in the fourth quarter and $100,000 in the year. Bestani is hoping to unseat U.S. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter.
Former Manchester Mayor Frank Guinta is also running for the GOP nomination, and BAE executive Rich Ashooh is exploring a bid.
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"Letter to Rich Ashooh from Bob Bestani"
Merrimack Journal, cabinet.com - February 11, 2010
Editor’s Note: The following is an open letter to Richard Ashooh, who has announced his bid for the 1st Congressional district seat.
Dear Rich,
First let me welcome you to the race for the Republican nomination for New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District. It can only help the state and the party to have a vigorous contest for the seat. As the old saying goes, “You are only as good as your competition forces you to be.”
When Frank Guinta first got into the race in May, I wrote to him to propose that we set up a regularly scheduled series of joint meetings at the various GOP gatherings and other open public forums to discuss the leading issues that will be on the state and national agenda. At its best, politics is fundamentally about issues and ideas. It seems to me that as the officially filed candidates, we owe it to both our party members and the general electorate to put in front of them where we stand on the issues of the day. Equally as important, those ideas and positions need to be publicly discussed and tested.
Sadly, Frank has repeatedly refused to take me up on this offer. He either thinks he is above the process or is not willing to have his positions publicly challenged. As a result, far too much of this race has been filled with empty sound bites, platitudes and slogans.
I am sure you will agree with me that we owe it to the New Hampshire electorate to discuss these issues openly and in depth. Let’s help educate the electorate on the issues and force our Democratic opponent to do the same. We will all be far better off for it.
I hope you will join me in a series of public discussions across the district on the issues of the day, where we stand on those issues and what we each bring to the effort of best serving the good people of New Hampshire.
All the best,
BOB BESTANI
Newmarket, NH
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"Portsmouth's Innis resigns as UNH dean, eyes Congress run"
By Joey Cresta (jcresta@seacoastonline.com) - SeacoastOnline.com - September 19, 2013
PORTSMOUTH — City resident Dan Innis, who is in the midst of exploring a run for Congress, has resigned from his position as dean of the Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics.
Innis, a Republican, said he still has not made a final decision on whether to run against U.S. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter, D-N.H., for her 1st District seat. But he did say the resignation will allow him the time necessary to thoroughly explore his options.
“It’s a substantial investment of time to adequately explore something like this,” Innis said, adding he did not want to feel as though he was neglecting his duties at the UNH business school.
Innis informed university administrators that he will step down as dean on Nov. 1. A professor of marketing, he came to UNH in 2007. During his tenure as dean, he helped secure the college’s largest-ever gift of $25 million and oversaw the building and opening of the new Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics.
“The new business college is already transforming the university’s graduate and undergraduate business education,” said Provost Lisa MacFarlane. “Dan Innis was an integral part of making it happen. We are grateful for his commitment to our students and for his six years of service.”
Paul, the UNH alumnus and philanthropist who donated the $25 million for the business school, said he will support Innis if he decides to run. In 2012, he provided financial support for the campaign of former Congressman Frank Guinta, R-Manchester. He said Innis is a fiscal conservative who represents “the right course” for the nation.
In a letter to students, Innis said he will remain at UNH, transitioning to the faculty in the Department of Hospitality Management. Innis told the Portsmouth Herald he is excited about that opportunity.
“I’ve had a great time here at UNH,” he said. “We’ve built a fantastic building. It’s been a wonderful six-plus years. I’m genuinely excited about getting back to where I have more contact with the students on a regular basis.”
In the event he decides against running for office, or if he runs and loses, he told students they will find him back where his academic career began — in the classroom.
Innis said the new business school, which opened in March, “changed the way we teach and the way that students learn” at UNH. The building has helped transform the business program, he said, providing new opportunities for students and fostering a strong sense of community.
The undergraduate enrollment in the business school was 1,700 when Innis arrived in 2007 and has grown to 2,200, with a record number of more than 600 freshmen enrolling this year, he said.
Innis said the provost will appoint an interim dean who will likely be in place until next summer. A national search is expected to commence shortly, led by a search committee likely comprising faculty, student representation and a community member, Innis said.
If Innis does run for Congress, he likely will face a primary challenge. Guinta, who lost to Shea-Porter in 2012 after defeating her in 2010, has been exploring running again.
State Rep. Pam Tucker, R-Greenland, has confirmed she is weighing a bid for Congress as well, but would only run if Guinta does not. Guinta has not yet announced his intentions.
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