A surging Bolduc gets boost with solid show of support in East Rochester

U.S; Senate candidate Don Bolduc makes a point during his address at Grassroots Rally as former ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley looks on. Haley was campaigning with the general as part of his American Strength Tour. (Rochester Voice photos)

EAST ROCHESTER - The Biden administration's policies on the border, energy, crime and foreign policy have been a disaster for Granite Staters.
And now runaway inflation, caused by reckless, out of control spending has taken us from disaster to catastrophe.
And U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan is a willing participant, voting 100 percent of the time with Joe Biden.
That was the message her opponent, Retired Brig. Gen. Don Bolduc, brought to East Rochester on Tuesday delivering a fiery speech at GOP headquarters in the Shoreyville Plaza on Highland Street.
"People in New Hampshire are suffering," Bolduc told a packed crowd of about 100 supporters who showed up for the event. "They're having a rough time with heating and eating."

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Don Bolduc shakes hands with a veteran during his Grassroots Rally at Rochester GOP headquarters on Tuesday.

An AARP poll taken a week ago showed Hassan holding onto a 52-45 percent lead over Bolduc, down from a 13-point advantage three weeks ago.
The tightening race is one of several key Senate races across the country that Republicans are eyeing as they attempt to retake the Senate and House.
Bolduc arrived around 12:30 p.m., but supporters gathered to greet the highly decorated general, who served 33 years in Army Special Forces, well before noon.
Among them was Bill Bowen of Portsmouth, who said it is imperative

Don Bolduc greets supporters at the start of Tuesday's rally at Shoreyville Plaza.

that Hassan be defeated.
"Maggie has consistently voted with (President) Biden, (House Speaker Nancy) Pelosi and (Senate President Chuck) Schumer, which has been a disaster economically and in other ways, such as the border, crime and expansion of government," said Bowen. "With all the drastic problems the nation has, all she wants to talk about is abortion. It's all she's got."
Hassan has sought to falsely portray Bolduc as being in favor of a federal ban on abortions, but he has made it clear on

WARM WELCOME: A crowd of supporters applauds U.S. Senate candidate Don Bolduc following his introduction by former ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley

multiple occasions he would not vote for such a ban.
"I believe it should be a state issue," Bolduc said during a debate held earlier on Tuesday in Conway. "When the federal government gets involved women have less of a say than at the state level."
During Tuesday's debate in Conway Bolduc referenced several attack ads from the Hassan camp that falsely say Bolduc would vote for a federal abortion ban.
Pointing a finger at Hassan during the debate Bolduc said, "The lies in her commercial; she has to take it down."
Former Army serviceman Roger Coughlin of Brentwood also arrived early and said he was looking forward to meeting the general in person.
"We were both in the Army Airborne," Coughlin grinned. "I only had 33 jumps, I'm sure he had more."
"I want to see things change after this election," he said turning serious. "We're going to be in trouble if we don't. I'm really hoping he can defeat Maggie Hassan."
Former ambassador to the U.N. and South Caroline governor Nikki Haley introduced Bolduc to the throng of supporters who jammed the GOP headquarters.
"I was just at the debate up in Conway with the general, and he definitely won that debate with Sen. Hassan," she said as the crowd erupted in cheers.

PRESSING IN: A throng of media and supporters surge forward to greet Don Bolduc as he enters GOP headquarters in East Rochester on Tuesday afternoon.

Haley said education is also a big part of what Bolduc is concerned with.
"To have a little girl come into school and be told that because she's white she's bad is just wrong," Haley said.
Regarding multiple world hot spots, Bolduc warned that militarily, U.S. forces are only "marginally ready" for battle.
"They're coming out of our military colleges where they've learned a lot about CRT and gender issues, but they're not learning how to win a war," quipped Bolduc.
He said the Biden administration's is threatening America's security.
"If China invades Taiwan, you know what this administration will do? Nothing," he said. "And it's things like what happened in Afghanistan that is making our enemies think that."

Bolduc ended his speech by urging everyone in the crowd to reach out to family and friend to get them to go to the polls and vote on Nov. 8.

"This is going to end up a tight race," he said, "and it's going to come down to turnout."

Many prominent local Republicans attended the Grassroots Rally, including Matt Mayberry of Dover, who ran for the 1st Congressional District in the last election, but lost in the primary; Rochester Mayor Paul Callaghan, who introduced Haley; State rep Tom Kaczynski; and former State rep and current Rochester City Councilor Steve Beaudoin.