Primary Colors in New Hampshire

Every four years about this time, the world turns its eyes to New Hampshire. Autumn is, of course, always a busy time for leaf peeping in the Granite State. But those brilliant orange and yellow colors share the road with plenty of red, white and blues as presidential candidates scramble to visit every town hall and diner in the months leading up to the state's primary election, typically in February.

New Hampshire law requires that the state's primary be the first in the nation, but this year the Democratic National Committee set a new primary calendar designating South Carolina to kick off the voting in early February, followed by New Hampshire.

Regardless, New Hampshire is insisting it will still be first, although a date hasn't been set, and the campaign trail is as crowded as the foliage hiking trails in this neck of the woods, and politics-loving tourists and locals are crowding the field.

"We don't track or keep specific data with regard to when the candidates visit in the days, months, and in some cases, years leading up to the New Hampshire primary," says Amy Bassett, deputy director of the Division of Travel and Tourism Development in the state's Department of Business and Economic Affairs.

"However," she adds, "we do know historically the fall leading up to primary day in years past in New Hampshire has become increasingly active for presidential candidates on the campaign trail in the state. There's usually a flurry of activity from candidates when the filing period for New Hampshire's presidential primary starts."

October 11 was opening day for filing, which involves candidates submitting paperwork with the New Hampshire Secretary of State to have their name appear on the ballot. "This draws all types of candidates, from the bigger-name ones you've heard of to the fringe candidates that most people will never hear about," says Bassett.

Although the state doesn't track candidates' campaign schedules, Bassett says, "there is a long history of presidential candidates visiting restaurants, town halls, libraries, granges, general stores and the list goes on."

As for the leaves, the foliage "seemed to start later than in years past but when the cooler temperatures arrived earlier this month, that certainly brought out the beautiful color we expect this time of year," says Bassett.

That has not been the case for the candidates. "From our perspective, anecdotally this primary cycle seemed to start even earlier than years past," says Bassett.

New Hampshire's North Country has been a highlight in past presidential primaries with Dixville Notch and Hart's Location traditionally hosting first in the nation elections. Littleton and the Mt. Washington Valley are also popular communities in the White Mountains for presidential hopefuls to visit.

"Now that the presidential primary filing period has opened, we are seeing more candidate meet-and-greets," says Charyl Reardon, president of the White Mountains Attractions Association.

Following are the most common politician-peeping environments:

"Diners are usually found on Main Street in our communities and are easily accessible to a wide range of people and often patroned, midweek especially, by locals," says Reardon. "This makes diners favorable and convenient places for candidates to connect with local voters and have a casual conversation and listen to their concerns and opinions." The Littleton Diner is a popular spot for candidates to swing by for pie and photo-ops.

"Well known fact, all the locals frequent the local diners," says Jake Posternak, general manager of the Roundabout Diner in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. "Regulars have their bar stool seat, drink their coffee and strike up a conversation with the person next to them. Often the conversation revolves around politics."

Posternak says that when candidates announce ahead of time that they are visiting, tourists and locals will gather, but many encounters with candidates are surprise pop-up meet-and-greets.

"I do remember that (Sen.) Lindsey Graham (of South Carolina) announced he would be here and held a 'roundtable' forum in our back dining room, so that's always a possibility," Posternak says.

Candidates have begun to make the rounds more actively in recent weeks, he says. "We will typically get a call the day before to let us know a candidate is heading in. I expect this election year to be no different."

Diner drop-ins are not necessarily about the food. "Most don't eat, some may get a breakfast sandwich — (former New Jersey Governor Chris) Christie actually got a frappe and chicken tenders. (I think he has cut back since.)"

Posternak says there isn't an item on the regular menu named for any of the candidates. "But you never know," he says. "Several times when we knew they were coming we put a special on our daily special sheet with their name or some correlation on it."

The century-old Red Arrow Diner in Manchester is another popular candidate hangout, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. reportedly stopped by recently. There's a Trump Tower Burger on the menu, which President Trump reportedly ordered during a visit this earlier year.

In past election cycle years, Red Arrow renamed some menu items. There was, for example, "Healthcare.gov" (a hamburger patty, fried mac 'n cheese, cheese sauce and two grilled-cheese sandwiches instead of buns), "Government Grits-Lock" (chicken-fried steak with grits and hash browns topped with sausage gravy) and "The Bi-Porkisan Plate" (two eggs, two sausage links, two slices of bacon, two French toast slices, pan fries and toast).

Another quadrennial favorite for candidates are The Common Man diners and restaurants, including The Common Man Concord, The Tilt'n Diner in Tilton, The 104 Diner in New Hampton, and Airport Diner in Manchester. They serve dishes such as New England pot roast, all-you-can-eat fish fry, American chop suey and breakfast-served-all day.

Lindy's Diner in Keene is another must-nosh stop for candidates and has been for years—New England clam chowder and all-day breakfast win hearts, if not votes. Former presidents Obama, Reagan and Bush have all visited the diner.

Candidates have also hopped on New Hampshire's artisanal brewery scene in recent years for meet-and-greets — a soapbox with suds.

"Breweries tend to be a laid-back atmosphere where candidates can engage with voters in a less-formal way," says Reardon. "They also tend to attract a diverse and younger demographic. This is beneficial for candidates looking to connect with a range of voters, particularly millennials and Generation Z."

U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren of neighboring Massachusetts, stopped at the Throwback Brewery in North Hampton when she ran for president four years ago; she threw back a four-ounce glass of a salted blonde ale named She Sells Seashells.

Breweries (and diners, for that matter) also give candidates the opportunity to show locals their commitment to supporting small businesses, which are significant to northern New Hampshire's economy, says Reardon.

Many of the presidential hopefuls also swing by Concord Craft Brewing, a block from the State House. A number of beers poured there have names that give a nod to politicians, including the Senatah (American IPA) and Gov'nah (Imperial/Double).

New Hampshire's hotels are also where locals and tourists will find a lot of action. Trump had a private meet-and-greet at the AC Hotel by Marriott in Portsmouth earlier this month; the Doubletree Hilton Downtown in Manchester is a favorite among candidates for many events.

To meet a candidate, be flexible because schedules are often released with little lead time — a week or sometimes even days before they visit.

Laurie Bain Wilson's work has appeared in Real Simple, Working Mother, OpenTable, Travel Channel, CNNTravel, Eat This, Chowhound, Parents, Salon, Wine Enthusiast, VinePair, New York Times and longtime correspondent at The Boston Globe. https://muckrack.com/laurieheather Read More