They turned out in force to back his father in 2012. Now, as they look ahead to the 2016 presidential election, Granite State liberty groups, Tea Partiers, small business leaders and several prominent Libertarian and Republican politicians are eyeing Rand Paul to fill the void likely to be left by his father, Ron Paul, who finished a strong second behind Mitt Romney in New Hampshire's First-in-the-Nation primary vote. Filibuster or Political Bluster? Though he received his share of criticism from fellow Republicans, Randal Howard Paul, better known as "Rand," made headlines in recent weeks by…

BEDFORD – The gesture, at the very least, proved Andrew Hemingway was willing to walk the talk. The race to become chairman of the New Hampshire Republican State Committee has been hotly contested since Hemingway challenged former congressional candidate Jennifer Horn for the position in late November. Yet when the votes were tabulated at the conclusion of the state GOP's annual meeting Saturday afternoon at Bedford High School, and Horn had emerged victorious, Hemingway agreed to throw out all other votes in exchange for one, his. Hemingway stood at the microphone and cast an affirmative nod…

From the New Hampshire Republican Committee: BEDFORD - Today, the members of the New Hampshire Republican State Committee elected Jennifer Horn of Nashua to the post of Chairman of the New Hampshire Republican State Committee. “I am honored to lead our party in New Hampshire,” said Chairman Horn. “Our dedicated and passionate members of the Republican Party are united and ready to win in 2013 and 2014.” Nearly 450 members gathered in Bedford for the purpose of electing officers of the party. In addition to the election of Chairman Horn, JP Marzullo was elected Vice Chair, Robert Scott re-…

The vote on the next chairman of the New Hampshire Republican Committee party was still hours away, but the message among local GOP leaders was clear. "When we stop fighting ourselves, we win," said U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte. Ayotte joined former congressman Frank Guinta, outgoing NH GOP Chairman Wayne MacDonald and hundreds of Granite State conservatives at Bedford High School for the New Hampshire Republican State Committee Annual Meeting on Saturday morning. Most agreed the party is split among traditional New Hampshire conservatives and a younger, more liberty-minded sect of Republicans, a …

Today, Wednesday, Jan. 23, is the first day to file for one of eight open elected positions in Bedford. Any Bedford registered voter wishing to file for town or school district office in the local election in March must do so by contacting Town Clerk Lori Radke at 472-3550. The clerk will be available during normal office hours at the Bedford Town Office Building at 24 North Amherst Road The deadline for filing is 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 1. Candidates who file on the last day of the filing period shall do so in person before the town clerk, per RSA 669:19. Open positions are as follows: Two …

 The first day to file for office is Wednesday, Jan. 23. And while that date is weeks away, some Bedford incumbents and potential challengers may already be planning their runs for any of eight open positions this coming spring. Any Bedford registered voter wishing to file for town or school district office in the local election in March must do so by contacting Town Clerk Lori Radke at 472-3550. The clerk will be available during normal office hours at the Bedford Town Office Building at 24 North Amherst Road The deadline for filing is 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 1. Candidates who file on the …

CONCORD – The New Hampshire House Business Caucus, a non-partisan group of NH State Representatives focused on improving the climate for businesses in the Granite State, announced that Rep. Patrick Abrami (R–Stratham) and Rep. Adam Schroadter (R-Newmarket) have been named vice chairs at the group's first meeting of 2013, Tuesday, in a packed room at the NH State House.   "Both of these representatives contributed greatly to the success of the business caucus last year, and will continue to be leading advocates for businesses and the jobs they bring to New Hampshire in this important role,” …

The Bedford Supervisors of the Checklist will hold extended hours for those wishing to register to vote and those who are seeking, name, address or party changes prior to the town elections in March. The Bedford Town Offices will be open on Tuesday, Jan. 22, from 6:30-7:30 p.m., and residents may also register or make changes during normal business hours. Proof of residence is required. Acceptable forms of identification include a driver's license with your Bedford address, a utility bill or a copy of your lease agreement. If you are a naturalized citizen, a passport or naturalization papers …

First, it was Speaker Terie Norelli naming her leadership team. Now, it’s Republican Leader and former Speaker Gene Chandler’s turn. On Dec. 21, Chandler, R-Bartlett, announced his first set of leadership appointments, including state Rep. Laurie Sanborn, R-Bedford, who co-owns The Draft on South Main Street. Sanborn was named Republican Policy Leader. "I look forward to helping represent all members of the Republican caucus to create legislative policy which brings positive, common sense solutions that serve the needs of New Hampshire citizens,” she said in a statement. “Our focus will be to…

The first day to file for office is Wednesday, Jan. 23. And while that date is more than a month away, some Bedford incumbents and potential challengers may already be planning their runs for any of eight open positions this coming spring. Any Bedford registered voter wishing to file for town or school district office in the local election in March must do so by contacting Town Clerk Lori Radke at 472-3550. The clerk will be available during normal office hours at the Bedford Town Office Building at 24 North Amherst Road The deadline for filing is 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 1. Candidates who file…

Earlier this week, New Hampshire Senate President Peter Bragdon announced chairmen for the 11 standing Senate committees for 2013-'14, and newly elected District 9 Senator Andy Sanborn of Bedford was among that select group of legislators. Sanborn, who enters his second term in the state senate, was named chair of the Commerce Committee. "The Commerce Committee focuses its policy work on business regulation, banking and insurance issues and most other matters which effect economic expansion, so I am excited to have the opportunity to continue my focus as a senator on jobs and the economy," …

U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) announced today that a member of her staff will hold office hours in Bedford and other towns during a five day tour through Hillsborough County next week. The goal of the open office hours is to assist New Hampshire citizens with official business. Residents who are interested in meeting with a member of Ayotte's staff can stop by the Bedford Town Office building, at 24 North Amherst Road, on Wednesday, Nov. 28, from 10-11 a.m. Those who would prefer to schedule an appointment are encouraged to call Neva Varsalone at 622-7979.

One week after Andy Sanborn and Lee Nyquist waited into the early-morning hours for the result of their District 9 Senate race to be determined, the candidates once again patiently awaited today as more than 30,000 votes were tabulated. Though Sanborn won the Nov. 6 General Election by 253 votes, Nyquist called for a recount due to the less than 1 percent separation between he and his opponent. As it turned out, Nyquist, a New Boston Democrat, gained 40 votes in the recount but still fell 213 supportive ballots short of defeating the Bedford Republican. New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill …

Frank Szabo made national headlines in August when he made controversial comments regarding his staunch pro-life platform. Today, the Concord Monitor first reported that Szabo has emigrated to South America. An admitted Free Stater, Szabo, in an interview with Bedford Patch compared abortion to slavery and said he'd condone the use of deadly force in extreme circumstances pertaining to abortion. "I don't think anybody would have trouble with preventing a full-grown human being from being murdered," Szabo told Patch, "so why would anyone object to the use of deadly force to prevent the murder …

You've waited patiently for almost two days. Today, the New Hampshire Secretay of State's Office published the results for the Hillsborough County races and seven of eight offices were captured by Republican candidates.  Winners in BOLD. Hillsborough County Sheriff Bedford County Total Bill Barry (D) 4892 86,330 James Hardy (R) 6568 94,500 Hillsborough County Attorney Bedford County Total Patricia Lafrance (D) 4,185 89,878 Dennis Hogan (R) 7,030 87,650 Hillsborough County Treasurer Bedford County Total Shannon Bernier (D) 3,921 85,983 David Fredette (R) 7,203 90,019 Hillsborough County …

Each candidate was awake into the early morning hours as voting results were tabulated and reported in towns such as Dublin, Richmond, Sharon, Temple and Troy. And when all ballots from all 14 District 9 communities were counted, it was Republican Andy Sanborn who proved victorious, holding on for a 210 vote triumph against Democrat Lee Nyquist. Today, Nyquist filed the appropriate paperwork with Sec. of State Bill Gardner, and a recount will take place in the race. According to NH RSA 660:1, which governs post-election proceedure, Nyquist had until this Friday to file for the recount, which …

Update: (1:00 a.m.): Republican Andy Sanborn has won the District 9 Senate race by less than one-percent (210 votes). The Lee Nyquist campaign indicated recount is likely. Meanwhile, as of press time, Bedford Republican Bob Burns was trailing Manchester Democrat Chris Pappas by less than 5,000 votes with 22 of 30 precincts reporting in the Executive Council District 4 race. Update (11:00 p.m.): Republicans have swept the vote in Bedford, including all seven New Hampshire House of Representative seats up for grabs. And in the Executive Council (District 4) and NH Senate (District 9) races, …

Kevin Hodges says he called it five months ago. "I knew this was going to be a coin-toss race between two well-matched hard campaigners with significant resources and competing messages," said Lee Nyquist's campaign manager. Nyquist, a New Boston Democrat, took the race for District 9 senate down to the wire, but in the end, it was his opponent, Bedford Republican Andy Sanborn, who earned the photo-finish triumph. Though Sanborn garnered a convincing 7,181 to 4,922 victory in Bedford, Nyquist captured the vote in 10 of the remaining 13 District 9 towns. In total, Sanborn finished the race …

The line wrapped through the halls and corridors of Bedford High School. Bedford Town Councilor Chris Bandazian said he and fellow election officials estimate close to 1,000 residents an hour are casting ballots this General Election. In fact, as of noon, nearly 4,900 Bedford residents had voted, and that's not including absentee ballots. And dozens of locals have sounded off on our Facebook page about a generally positive experience getting through the roughly 10-20 minute wait. "The turnout's been pretty incredible," said Bandazian. "People started showing up and lining up to get in before …

Bedford Police are asking residents to be patient today while driving in the area of Bedford High School near the intersection of Nashua Road and County Road. High traffic has already been experienced this morning and police are reminding those who drive in the area to follow new traffic patterns. Haven't voted yet? Get all information, including candidate profiles, Voter ID details and a sample ballot by clicking here, and check back later today for full election results here.