Kickoff Party

I thought you might enjoy seeing some photos from the kickoff party on July 17.

We had over 100 guests gather under Billy Taylor's tent. In this photo, everyone is singing the National Anthem, led by Liz and Dan Faiella.

Fenton speaking with Dana Robinson.

Elisabeth Somers and Laura Truman greeted guests at the welcome tent. We're so thankful to the many volunteers who helped with everything from making potato salad and cookies to setup to serving to cleanup. You guys are great!

We're so thankful that it didn't rain! The weather was perfect, and I think everyone had a nice time. Thanks to everyone who came!

My Positions

Good Evening to all of you, friends and fellow citizens.

When Ronald Reagan announced his first candidacy for President, he said, “Government has become more intrusive, more coercive, more meddlesome and less effective.” How much more applicable this is since he made that speech in 1975! I will work hard for you to make our NH state government more effective, less intrusive, less coercive and less meddlesome. Less government, lean government, more efficient government!

Last Thursday evening, we had our campaign kickoff barbecue at our house in Rochester. It was a great success. (There's a link to the Fosters article about it at the bottom of this page.) In my campaign kickoff speech, I outlined five issues that will be central to my campaign for NH Senate. These are broad issues that are part of my philosophy of government; that government should be limited and lean. When you elect me to the New Hampshire State Senate, you will get an advocate who is committed to:

1. Exercise Fiscal Responsibility by limiting spending and tax increases and balancing our budget without gimmicks.
2. Reduce, Limit and Control Government Regulations. Unbridled regulations are a hidden tax that robs us of our resources and restricts our freedom.
3. Support Time-tested Family Values and Time Proven Social Policy. We must value life and support families as the basic building block of our society.
4. Oppose Judicial Activism that uses the courts to impose changes and interpretations that are not within the literal reading of the constitution.
5. Support Our Right to Bear Arms that is specific in both our state and federal constitutions.

I will expand on these issues in upcoming blogs. Tonight, I want to tell you more about who I am and what you will get when you elect me to the State Senate.

My friends, I am a fiscal conservative. I am a social conservative. I am a strict constructionist with regard to interpretation of the constitution. I believe that our founding fathers wisely limited government to certain defined functions; that is, they believed in Less Government and Lean Government. I believe that there are natural rights and responsibilities, truth and error, right and wrong, which are endowed by God, which are inalienable.

Does this sound radical in our current political and social climate? Listen to our founding fathers’ most famous document. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”

We can clearly discern from this document, and from extensive additional writings of our founding fathers, that they believed that right and wrong, truth and error, privileges and responsibilities are derived from the Creator. As a social, fiscal, and moral conservative, my beliefs are not radical. They are central. They are consistent with what our founding fathers believed. And I believe that they are consistent with the core values of New Hampshire citizens.

With you, my fellow citizens and supporters, I am embarking on a great experiment. Can a candidate with strong beliefs, strong moral values, and a strong commitment to act on these values be elected? I believe that the answer is yes! I don’t expect every one of you to agree with me on every issue. But I believe in the bedrock foundational principles that have made our state and our nation great.

The Chinese built a great wall to protect their citizens from external threats. Our founding fathers built a great nation without physical walls. They protected this great nation from enemies both internal and external by writing a brilliant set of documents based on principles endowed on us by our Creator. These documents, and the principles contained therein, are our Great Wall. My friends, I will work hard to protect this Great Wall. Where there are holes in the wall, I will work hard to rebuild the wall. Where there are gaps in the wall, I will stand to protect the wall from further damage.

I submit to you today that my philosophy of government, and the honesty and integrity with which I have lived my life, treated my family, run our business, and served my community are the first and primary reasons that I am asking you for your vote and for your support during this campaign. My friends, I do not know all of the answers on all of the issues. I have a lot to learn. But I will learn, I will stand for what is right, and I will serve you with integrity. Together we can build a better government for a brighter future.

Fenton Groen
Candidate for NH State Senate
District 6

My Decision

Warmest greetings to all of you, fellow citizens, friends and family. My name is Fenton Groen and I am running for the New Hampshire Senate in District 6.

Three weeks ago today, after a week of intense soul searching, family meetings, company meetings, quiet talks with my dear wife of 38 years, and a lot of time in prayer, I decided to run for State Senate. This decision is not a sudden, spontaneous one. It is the result of a desire I have had since high school; a dream that began to unfold 8 years ago; a deep concern that was born on the night of the last elections; and finally, in that last week, a settled determination that it is time for me to stand with and for my fellow citizens, my friends, and my family as their representative in our state government.

Four months from today, you and I will have our opportunity to exercise our privilege and responsibility to vote for the elected representatives who will shape the future of our communities, our states, and our nation. For those of you who are in my district; Rochester, Somersworth, Barrington, Madbury, and Nottingham, New Hampshire, I am asking for your vote to be your next State Senator.

I am a running for Senate because I believe that the common sense values that I have practiced in my responsibilities as a private citizen will be beneficial to the citizens of my district and of the State of New Hampshire. Today I am introducing myself. Over the next six weeks I will outline my positions on the major issues and my philosophy of life and of government. We will continue to expand on those issues and that philosophy during the next four months of campaigning.

Over the next four months, I invite you to read our campaign blog, examine my web site, and become familiar with me, my positions on issues, and my philosophy of government. I want you to respond to help us know you and what is important to you. I hope that in the course of this campaign I will meet you in person. If you want to talk to me in person, or if you are willing to arrange a house party with your friends and acquaintances, please tell us in your blog comment and my campaign staff will arrange for an in-person meeting and/or help arrange a house meeting.

My commitment to you is that I will be authentic and transparent with you. What does that mean for my campaign and for my service to you as a State Senator?
I will not adopt a position that I do not believe in to be elected.
I will not abandon a position that I do believe in to be elected.
I will not obscure a position that I do believe in to be elected.

Thank you for visiting my campaign blog. I look forward to getting to know you over the next 4 months.

Fenton Groen
Candidate for NH State Senate
District 6