( - promoted by Mike Caulfield)
After two decades of public service as a Republican, Jim MacKay of Concord announced today that he will leave the GOP to join the Democratic Party. Having served four-terms as city councilor, two-terms as mayor, and five-terms as state representative of Concord, MacKay has been an elected member of the GOP for over twenty years but says he can no longer be a part of the Republican Party and will seek election as a Democrat.
"Over the past several years, the New Hampshire Republican Party has continually moved farther to the right, and no longer represents my core beliefs. As someone who served as a Republican legislator, I am disappointed by the marginalization of moderate voices in the party. That is why today I am formally leaving the New Hampshire Republican Party to seek the Democratic nomination for state representative in the upcoming special election in Concord," said Jim MacKay. "I spent my career fighting for working families and to protect the state's most vulnerable citizens and I will continue to do so if I'm elected in the special election."
New Hampshire Democratic Party Chairman, Raymond Buckley, welcomed Jim MacKay to the Party and praised his strong legislative record saying:
"We welcome Jim Mackay to the New Hampshire Democratic Party with open arms. He has a record of fighting for the best interests of working families and will be a strong voice in the legislature. Jim's willingness to set politics aside for the betterment of our state is honorable.
"His departure is just another example of how out of touch John Sununu and the Republican Party are with the people of New Hampshire. The GOP's desire to put the politics of divisiveness before the people of our state is why they continue to lose the support of voters and leaders in their own party."
MacKay's split comes as other venerable Republicans have left the GOP for the Democratic Party. Just last month, Republican Senator Arlen Specter announced that he planned to leave the GOP and seek reelection as a Democrat. The growth in defection among GOP party leaders is emblematic of public sentiment. Recent polls found that only 21 percent of Americans now identify as Republican, the lowest percentage in over twenty years, and Republicans actually rank third in New Hampshire voter registration for the first time ever.
While in the legislature, Jim MacKay served as Chair of the Committee on Legislative Administration and Vice Chairman of the Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs Committee. MacKay was a champion of issues related to mental health, substance abuse and suicide prevention.
MacKay was also a Major in the Army Reserves for 17 years. He holds his PhD in psychotherapy and works as college professor.
(Posted by Victoria Bonney, Communications Director at the New Hampshire Democratic Party) |
