CLAREMONT — Mayor Dale Girard, who is serving his first term as a state representative, announced Monday he has switched his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican.
In a phone interview Monday, Girard, 58, said his decision came down to how he has voted since being elected in November 2024.
With his voting record more Republican than Democrat, Girard said it was not fair to remain with the Democrats.
“I felt it was best to be up front and honest and go along with the party I am more aligned with,” Girard said. “It would not be fair to the Democrats to wait until just before the election (to switch parties). This will give them time to find a candidate to run for the seat (representing Claremont and Croydon).
“This does not change who I am and my commitment remains the same: to represent the best interests of Claremont, Croydon and the state of New Hampshire,” Girard, who has been a Democrat for 40 years, said in his statement.
Girard, who owns Golden Cross Ambulance, also said becoming a Republican will not affect his role as mayor, a non-partisan position.
The move increases the Republican majority in the Sullivan County delegation of New Hampshire House members to 9-4.
Now representing Claremont in the House are three Republicans: Girard and Wayne Hemingway of Claremont and District 8 state Rep. Michael Aaron, R-Acworth. The Democratic seats representing Claremont are held by Hope Damon of Croydon and John Cloutier of Claremont.
Former state Rep. Jon Stone of Claremont, now the chairman of the Sullivan County Republican Committee, welcomed Girard to the Republican Party.
“Dale’s decision reflects what many Granite Staters have recognized in recent years, the Republican Party is increasingly the home for commonsense leadership, fiscal responsibility, local control, and policies focused on the everyday concerns of working families,” Stone said in a statement.
He praised Girard for his “willingness to think independently and put the interests of his constituents ahead of partisan politics.”
“His decision to formally join the Republican Party reflects both his voting record and his commitment to the values shared by many residents across Sullivan County and New Hampshire,” Stone said.
Girard is not the first Upper Valley Democrat to switch parties. Last July, Grafton County Commissioner Wendy Piper and Register of Deeds Kelley Monahan became Republicans. They said the Democratic Party has strayed from the ideals and commitment to working-class families it represented when they were growing up and later entered elected office.
He’s also not the first Claremont politician to change parties. Former Claremont Mayor Charlene Lovett, who served the city from 2016-2021, made the opposite switch, moving from Republican to Democrat in June 2022. She cited the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol when Trump supporters attempted to overturn his defeat in the November 2020 presidential election as her main motivation. In November 2022, Lovett lost to Ruth Ward, R-Stoddard, in a bid for the New Hampshire Senate.
Girard said he has come to realize his “personal ideology” falls more in line with the Republican Party, especially on fiscal matters.
There was no one particular issue that led to his decision, Girard said, and in several votes, including universal open enrollment for public schools, Girard voted with the Democrats to defeat the bill.
“It really is an issue by issue decision for me,” Girard said, adding that while he reads bills he does not always look to see what his party’s caucus is recommending. “I wish I could tell you it is this issue or that issue, but it really has been on a week-to-week basis.”
Girard also said he had no qualms with the Democratic House leadership.
In a phone interview Monday, Damon said she saw Girard’s voting record as middle of the road rather than strongly in support of Republicans.
“He voted with either party,” Damon said. “He thinks independently and follows his values. He is not in a blue box or a red box, and I hope he continues because we need a lot more moderates on both sides.”
Cloutier, currently serving his 17th two-year term in the House, and Damon both said they were “disappointed” in Girard’s decision, but believe Democrats can gain seats in the November election.
“The Democratic Party in Sullivan County is doing all it can to recruit a strong field of candidates for the November election,” Cloutier said by phone Monday evening. “I think we have a chance to pick up a few seats (in Sullivan County), if we work hard.”
Education funding, high property taxes, electricity rates and the lack of affordable housing are important issues that both Democrats say the Republicans have not addressed.
“We need to help people realize we can offer ways to lower property taxes and make life more manageable, which we have been trying to do but we don’t have the numbers,” Damon said.
The governor, Senate, House and Executive Council are all controlled by Republicans, Cloutier noted.
“If people don’t like what is going on, we will remind them of that in the upcoming Nov. 3rd election,” he said.
Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.
