After winning the Republican primary with 56.2% of the vote on Sept. 10, Kim Strathdee became the Republican nominee for New Hampshire’s second Executive Council district. Strathdee has sought the office three times before, in 2018, 2020 and 2022. New Hampshire’s Executive Council is composed of five districts that each elect a representative to work closely with the governor, according to previous reporting from The Dartmouth. The council approves the majority of spending from legislative appropriations and confirms gubernatorial nominations. The Dartmouth sat down with Strathdee to discuss her background, motivation for running and what she hopes to accomplish.
Why are you running for New Hampshire Executive Council?
KS: Well, it’s something I’ve been destined for for a very long time. I’m ready to step up now and do the job. We had executive councilor Ray Burton for over 34 years, and then we had Joe Kenny. In four tries, this will be my first time going against a non-incumbent, because Cinde Warmington, who is our current counselor, stepped aside to run for governor and lost her primary bid. So now is just a great time for me to get involved.
I am 64-and-a-half. I’ll be 65 in November. That means I have a little bit more time that I can focus and devote to this. This job involves a lot of homework, a lot of reading, a lot of talking to people and meetings. For people who are a little younger than myself and raising families, it’s a little bit more difficult for them to step up to the plate and to be able to have the luxury of time to do this. So that’s a long answer but now is the right time.
How will your background help you as an Executive Councilor?
KS: I’ve got a couple of assets. One is that I’m the oldest of six children, and in terms of the Executive Council, each councilor is elected by a particular district. When it gets down to the nuts and bolts of doing the job, the five of us on the Executive Council along with the governor work collectively for the whole state. Each of our constituent areas reaches out to us individually, and that would be the 20% who I would be responsible for individually. However, in terms of appointing commissioners and contracts and such things, we work together for the good of the state, and for that I’ve been enhanced by being the oldest of six children. We had to work together.
From there, it would be my education. I’ve got two degrees. One is in hospitality management. Being kind to the people I work with and being able to work across the aisle effectively will be an asset of that degree. From New England College, I received a bachelor’s degree in accounting — summa cum laude — which means I strive for the best in what I do. I work as a bookkeeper and in taxation. I’m able to read spreadsheets, balance sheets, numbers and contracts to understand what I’m looking at.
Also, I am educated enough to know that I don’t know everything. I never claim to be the smartest person in the room. If somebody ever claims that to you, they’re not very bright to begin with, because there are always other people to learn from.
If elected, you will represent almost 300,000 citizens. How do you foresee overseeing and representing that many constituents?
KS: In terms of the constituents, I would be looking to answer their calls and help them resolve their problems.
In terms of the region itself, I’ve gone to the American Society of Civil Engineers website and done research there about bridges and dams. Almost more of the bridges in danger are inland. There are five in Concord, N.H. alone that have hundreds of thousands of people crossing them every day, and they have other major travel outlets and roadways underneath them. One of those bridges, much to my surprise, was built in the late 1930s, and the ones in Concord were built in the 1950s. So these bridges need some attention, and I would call it preventative maintenance.
Then you get to the contracts and things like that where the councilors have to work together for the whole state. So when you get to these issues, I’m not just working for the 20% — we collectively work for 100% of the state.
How do you feel about New Hampshire’s current financial situation? Is there anything you hope to change?
KS: To be honest, I haven’t spent a lot of time exploring the budget at this point in time. That would be where I’d start:; going through the budget line by line. To get elected to this job is a lot of homework. So when I get in, that would be one of my first orders of priority.
Is there anything else you want residents in the Upper Valley or at Dartmouth to know about your campaign?
KS: I am worth the vote. When they need help and they call me, I am going to answer. This is an administrative job. I am your voice. I am your eyes. I am your ears. If you are here, and if you have a concern or a need, I am here for you.
That is how I will differentiate myself. I am here for the people. I am not here to be a Republican. I am not here to fight the Democrats. I will work with the Republicans, but I will also work with the Democrats and most importantly, the iIndependents.
I will think logically, and I believe this is the right time, and I will be a good fit for the job. I expect there to be a one-year learning curve, and in that second year, if I haven’t skyrocketed and done a great job, then the voters will fire me by their vote. But I believe in those two years, . Iif they give me their confidence this year, I will exponentially increase the level of their confidence in the future and be here for as long as they choose to have me represent them.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
