This past weekend, I heard an interview on television with New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu. For those unfamiliar, Sununu, a Republican who has been serving as the Granite State’s governor since 2016, is apparently flirting with a bid for the White House in 2024. While such a bid would be a very long shot, the New Hampshire governor’s potential candidacy brings forward a few issues that should be put on the national stage for Republicans during the next presidential election.
I think that it is no secret that Washington has a severe spending problem. It seems like the lawmakers in Washington are more concerned with how to spend as much money as possible rather than addressing the things that actually need to be addressed in this country. Defending the liberties of American citizens takes a backseat to blowing as much money as possible. And that is a huge problem.
Likewise, it seems like government at every level is hellbent on nickel-and-diming Americans to death. With what seems like an ever-growing list of taxes and fees that Americans have to pay, we are confronted with the dangerous combination of a government that spends way too much money, while also not understanding that raising taxes isn’t always the answer to everything.
Thus, a Chris Sununu-like figure would be a major contrast to what we typically get in Washington.
For those who aren’t familiar, Sununu has been consistently rated as one of the most fiscally conservative governors in the nation by the Cato Institute. In last year’s rankings from the think tank, Sununu received an “A” rating, with special praise for Sununu’s veto of legislation aimed at instituting a statewide payroll tax and his signature on bills to cut various state tax rates. Additionally, Sununu signed legislation to do away with the state’s tax on interest and dividends and signed legislation to reduce property taxes statewide.
And, for those wondering, while Sununu received an “A” rating, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott received a “C” rating.
When you look at Sununu’s record on fiscal policy, he has one of the best records of any governor in the nation. It’s likely due, in part, to the fact that Sununu began his career as a business executive before moving into the public sphere — not the other way around. He actually understands what it takes to make a dollar, run a tight budget, and manage a company. And those are things missing from Washington today.
Sununu’s record in New Hampshire has been good for taxpayers and his state’s voters have taken notice. It’s why he won re-election in the perennial swing state by nearly 16 points in 2022 and outperformed President Donald Trump there by nearly 20 points in 2020.
His record as governor and his electoral performance show that true fiscal conservatism broadly appeals to voters and can win elections. Despite the fact that politicians like to avoid talking about these issues — while also spending as much money as possible — voters approve of leaders who actually get things done while staying on a budget. And that’s something we should be talking about in 2024.
Look, I’m not saying that Chris Sununu can win the Republican presidential primary, nor am I saying that I would even vote for him if that primary were to take place today. And Sununu’s record does have some other glaring issues he would need to address on the national stage.
What I am saying, however, is that the kinds of issues Sununu has been addressing in New Hampshire — while they, admittedly, probably aren’t the hottest issues on the minds of many voters — truly do matter and deserve a spotlight in the upcoming presidential election. We need to be talking about Washington’s spending problem and how we can fix it. And who would be better to start that conversation than a governor who has run his state financially in a way that is completely opposite from Washington?