Andru Volinsky is running to be the Governor of New Hampshire. Volinsky has been an advocate for social justice, member of the Executive Council, lawyer, teacher, and ACLU of New Hampshire board member. As a member of the Executive Council, Volinsky was a driving force in challenging Gov. Sununu’s nominees. Now, he’s ready to serve as your Governor. Andru was kind enough to sit down, to answer our 5 questions.
1. What cause are you most passionate about?
I’ve been living in New Hampshire for nearly forty years, and I’ve spent most of the last 30 years fighting for a more equitable school funding plan. New Hampshire is a wonderful state, but we are also the most reliant on the local property tax to fund our schools and that puts our students at a disadvantage. Nearly 30 years ago, I was the lead lawyer in the Claremont school funding case, which ended with the courts declaring that our education funding system was unconstitutional. I’m passionate about ensuring that we realize the goals of the Claremont case and provide every student with a good education, regardless of the property values in their district.
2. What was your favorite toy as a kid?
From a young age, I’ve loved building things, and I used to spend a lot of my time playing with Lincoln Logs. I actually got myself through law school by working as a carpenter and subsequently built the barn behind our house with reclaimed wood.
3. Where were you 3 hours ago and what were you doing?
Three hours ago, I was at a socially-distanced ribbon-cutting ceremony for Badger Balms in Gilsum, which has just installed a solar array large enough to power their facility and dozens of other family homes with 100% renewable energy. While we can’t run this campaign in a typical fashion due to COVID-19, we have organized and attended small events celebrating our communities, both in person and online. That’s what my team has been doing with events like our car rallies, where members of our community can gather from a safe distance to receive necessary information about our campaign and the upcoming election. I also spend a lot of time during this campaign calling residents to hear what they think needs to be done, which is important because our campaign is 100% people funded.
4. Why did you decide to run for office?
I decided to run for governor because we’re in the midst of a climate crisis, a public health crisis, a racial justice crisis – all of these issues have proved that we cannot afford another two years of Chris Sununu. As a grandfather, I think about climate change and how it will affect our children every day. New Hampshire needs decisive action to combat climate change, and I’m the only candidate in the race that has opposed building new fracked gas pipelines and refused to take campaign donations from Liberty Utilities. We don’t have time for another two years of half measures, and that’s a big part of why I decided to run.
5. Why are you most qualified for the position?
I’ve learned a lot about New Hampshire’s executive branch during my time here, by serving as Executive Councilor for District 2 and during my time as a lawyer. I take on Chris Sununu and Frank Edelblut during executive council meetings every other week or so, and I’ve worked to ensure that the citizens of this state have the governance that they deserve. I’ve done something that Chris Sununu and Dan Feltes can’t- I’ve run a campaign that is funded 100% by the people, not by any PACs or corporations. That’s because I’m committed to solving New Hampshire’s issues in the best way for the people, not for the largest donor. That’s why I’ve refused to sign the Pledge – I’m the only candidate that’s willing to have an adult conversation about the way we fund our state. We need to point New Hampshire in the right direction and make it a more equitable state for all people.
For more information on Andu Volinsky visit:
https://www.volinskynh.com/
Look for more 5 question interviews with our NH candidates in the coming days and weeks. If you are running for public office and would like to participate in our “5 question interviews,” please email us at [email protected]
Past 2020 Interviews:
Paul Hodes
Jay Surdukowski
Becky Whitley
Lorri Carey