GOP Senate hopeful Kevin Smith said today that dark money from the Washington swamp is trying to decide a three-way race for the New Hampshire primary between State Senate President Chuck Morse, Retired Brigadier Gen. Don Bolduc and himself.
After it was learned that a GOP Washington PAC committed $4 million to back Morse and that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer was earmarking $3 million to go across the aisle and boost Bolduc, Smith said today that "there's more money coming in from outside than the candidates have spent themselves."
Speaking on a zoom call with a number of New Hampshire media outlets, Smith said that Morse's cutting a deal with Mitch McConnell and Schumer's desire to see a Bolduc-Maggie Hassan matchup are making for a twisted political landscape that has nothing to with what's best for New Hampshire residents.
"Chuck Morse is making the quickest jump from the 603 way to the 202 (Washington area code) way, he's Mitch's guy," Smith said. "He had to make a deal with Mitch, couldn't get it done himself."
"And Bolduc can't seal the deal, that's why Dems are holding him up," he warned. "This should be a wake-up call for New Hampshire voters."
Bolduc has been consistently leading in the polls, but some believe his rhetoric is too extreme, including earlier saying we needed boots on the ground in Afghanistan and calling Gov. Sununu a Chinese communist sympathiser.
But Bolduc also has wide support among many Granite Staters including those from Rochester, who gave the brigadier general a standing ovation during his Memorial Day speech on the Common.
Smith said he believes he still has a path to winning the primary, but the next 10 days will be crucial.
"Morse has sold out New Hampshire by becoming Mitch's guy and voting with Hassan on Obamacare, and Bolduc is a loose cannon, that's the message that has to get out," he said.
Smith promised to bring out the meddling he sees in New Hampshire's primary in the final two debates he has with Morse and Bolduc.
He said he had enough money in campaign coffers to make his point and also pointed to a robust direct mail campaign he's developed.
"We'll be doing advertising, and we're in a position to be competitive," he said. "This is a late-breaking race, and these last two debates will be very important."