Zachary Dumont
From Ballotpedia
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Zachary Dumont (Libertarian Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent New Hampshire's 1st Congressional District. He lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.
Dumont completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Zachary Dumont was born in Manchester, New Hampshire. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of New Hampshire in 2017. Dumont’s career experience includes working as Newmarket Town Councilor and as a rental agent with Hertz.[1]
Elections
2020
See also: New Hampshire's 1st Congressional District election, 2020
New Hampshire's 1st Congressional District election, 2020 (September 8 Republican primary)
New Hampshire's 1st Congressional District election, 2020 (September 8 Democratic primary)
General election
General election for U.S. House New Hampshire District 1
Incumbent Chris Pappas defeated Matt Mowers and Zachary Dumont in the general election for U.S. House New Hampshire District 1 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Chris Pappas (D) | 51.3 | 205,606 |
 | Matt Mowers (R)  | 46.2 | 185,159 | |
 | Zachary Dumont (L) | 2.4 | 9,747 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.0 | 149 | ||
| Total votes: 400,661 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House New Hampshire District 1
Incumbent Chris Pappas advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House New Hampshire District 1 on September 8, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Chris Pappas | 99.7 | 70,643 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.3 | 194 | ||
| Total votes: 70,837 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Kevin Freeman (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House New Hampshire District 1
Matt Mowers defeated Matt Mayberry, Kevin Rondeau, Jeff Denaro, and Michael Callis in the Republican primary for U.S. House New Hampshire District 1 on September 8, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Matt Mowers | 59.3 | 41,100 |
 | Matt Mayberry | 26.6 | 18,479 | |
 | Kevin Rondeau | 6.1 | 4,203 | |
 | Jeff Denaro | 3.9 | 2,723 | |
 | Michael Callis | 3.9 | 2,703 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.2 | 132 | ||
| Total votes: 69,340 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- William Fowler (R)
Campaign themes
2020
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Zachary Dumont completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Dumont's responses.
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I was born and raised in Manchester, NH, my home for twenty years. It was here that I acquired an interest in our country's history and American values. I've always had a passion for history, culture, and languages. When I was in high school and through the first half of my collegiate career, I worked with an organization that seeks to bring young Americans together who want to re-shape and re-build their communities. I took these opportunities with gratitude that I was able to use my skill set to give something back to my fellow countrymen. After college, I was elected to the Newmarket Town Council where I've served for the past two years. I can't explain why, but I've always had this urgency within me to do what I can to help others. Simple projects, a helping hand here or other, in some small way asking myself what I could do to pay it forward. In running for Congress, I hope to inspire others to step up to the plate and lend a hand even when the odds seemed stacked against them. In my private life, I enjoy spending time with my fiancée and traveling the US and abroad.
- We need to reform our national security priorities and end the United States' obligation as world police.
- We need to drastically reduce the cost of healthcare and increase access for all Americans.
- We need to end the war on drugs begin to treat addicts as people instead of criminals.
National Security, War on Terror, Healthcare, War on Drugs, Environment, Affordable Living, Immigration, Education
I think my role model, my person to look up to and look for guidance, would be none other than President Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt. Outside of his political accomplishments, I think President Roosevelt had three traits that aspire me to drive forward. First, he had debilitating health issues when he was a child, predominately asthma attacks. He once described it feeling "smothered to death" which took a toll on his ability to live and explore as a normal child with ease. Through his overcoming of asthma and related health problems, he shows that no matter what cards we're dealt with in life, so long as we push forward, we can overcome those obstacles. Second, President Roosevelt was an accomplished stateman's and was able to promote the general welfare of the American people. Through trustbusting, settling squabbles with businessmen and their employees, and the skilled exercise of the Antiquities Act, President Roosevelt sought to reshape developing America as a country that was forward-thinking and aware of its needs. Third and finally, Teddy's had charm and charisma which helped move him forward in his career. The best example of this is still evident today in "teddy" bears, for his disdain of mistreating nature. While he wasn't perfect, I believe Theodore Roosevelt was not only one of our better Presidents but an overall, goodnatured person who is an excellent role model.
United States Consitution; Federalist & Anti-Federalist Papers; Declaration of Independence are three writings I would point to. This isn't sarcasm, but I think they are important frameworks for my view on government.
I think it's important that members of Congress are trusted, have self-confidence, a desire to do good, and have an upstanding moral character and strong ethics. They need to have faith in their values when they speak to policy directions and conviction in their decisions when questioned by the voters. Voters won't always agree with their members of Congress but so long as they can have faith in their leaders, I think that makes those representatives effective.
I believe that my qualities can be quantified as such: I am an honest broker, I serve with integrity, I seek to lead, and I ensure that I communicate. The American people deserve leaders in Congress, who are willing to go beyond party lines and work to create fair and equitable deals for the national interest. When our leaders refused to communicate and when they seek to obfuscate, they cause harm to our values and beliefs. As your representative, I will always seek to uphold my office with dignity and will serve the public first, without a focus on reelection. At the end of the day, I think my best characteristic is that I'm not running to be reelected, I'm running to do the job right the first time.
The core responsibilities for someone in this office is to faithfully execute the duties of the office and uphold the values inherent within the Constitution. Representatives are responsible to their constituents and their state and must balance the needs of their state's relationship to the other forty-nine in our Union.
I'm not sure what legacy I would like to leave. I once thought I wanted to leave this world as someone who people looked up to as having had a positive impact on our world. Perhaps a statue as well? But then I think, that's ridiculous as I have no desire to be idolized. Today, I'm happy to say that so long as I do right by my family, friends, and country, it doesn't matter the legacy I leave. I will always try to act in the best interest of my community, honor the principles I stand for, and lead a life of dignity.
The first truly historical event that happened in my lifetime was the September 11th terrorist attacks in New York, D.C., and Pennsylvania. I can only clearly and visibility remember the news coverage for the New York destination. It was a regular autumn day for a 7-year-old, second-grade student. I was sitting in Ms. Duval's class and we were working on an assignment. I can remember the hallways growing fairly quiet as the day began. Normally, I could hear the chatter from the front desk staff in the early part of the day, but there was a heavy silence in the air. At some point, I remember staff whispering to one another, and then I was called out into the office. I can't remember the name of the receptionist, but I thought at first, I was in trouble for something. Didn't we all when we got called to the office? But I was told to take all of my items with me and to wait in the lobby. It was when I got into the lobby I remember there being a television set up on one of those TV carts and tuned into the news. As I sat there waiting for my mother to come to get me, I watched the second plane slam into the side of the second tower in New York unaware of what that fireball signified. I saw people falling, jumping however you want to describe it, live on TV, unlike anything I had ever seen before. But what was so impactful on me that day was the look of sheer horror that the receptionists had on their faces. It was only later on in my life that I would understand just how much the world had changed that day and the reality of what I saw, sitting in that lobby, alone in a chair, while the two adults in the room just held their tongues unsure of what to do.
My first job was working for Goodwill Industries of Northern New England. I was several weeks away from turning eighteen and I was looking to fund a trip to France in order to learn more about my family's history. I was fortunate enough to receive a callback for an interview with non-profit retail organization I knew little about other than that they were hiring and my parents typically donated items to them. After my interview, I sat patiently by the phone for the next three days until, sure enough, it was a job offer waiting for me. It started out at $8.50/her which, at the time, I thought made me a king among my peers - real, cold hard cash. Of course, this was but a pittance compared to what I learned I could make later on in my future careers, but it was enough to get by. I stayed with Goodwill for about four years, right up until my sophomore year of college, when I eventually transitioned into a commercial driving job, and finally had enough with my dust allergy. I miss hearing about the public support that my company gave to local communities in New Hampshire. But I'm glad to have had the opportunity to develop job skills and move on in my career. I guess I could say that working at Goodwill was yet another stepping stone into my life of public service.
My favorite book is The Hobbit. It's a short tale of adventure and intrigue that keeps the reader hooked until the end of the story. It's not overly complex, it leaves enough to the imagination and makes you ask questions.
This is a hard question as there are far too many to choose from. I think Tom Bombadil is an all around good character to want to be.
Standing on the Moon - Grateful Dead;
Alice's Restaurant - Arlo Guthrie;
I've struggled with a number of issues in my life, but the biggest one has been my hearing. From a young age, I suffered from the loss of my hearing due to a number of compounding reasons. It was a chore learning how to overcome what was essentially a disability for me for so many years. Fortunately, I've had this issue mostly restored and while the issue occasionally arises, I'm happy to say that through my hearing issues I have been able to learn Mandarin.
The House of Representatives is unique for three specific reasons: its low barrier to entry, it holds the power of the purse, and its size.
For the most part, Representatives need only be twenty-five years old to enter the House, under the acceptance of their constituents. This allows for new members of Congress to take their seats when prompted to address important or developing issues. Wars, national conflicts, and state-based issues can immediately take the national spotlight so long as there is someone willing to speak to the issue.
In terms of national policy, the House's ability to direct and set funding levels allows it significant pull in fueling the furnaces of government programs and social policies. Whereas the Senate generally runs with a cooler head and take over the larger head of state issues, the House has the freedom to move its focus where it deems necessary and set the tone.
I think that the benefit of the House of Representatives is that it serves as a house of commons. A Representative's experience needs not necessarily have a government background component in order to provide use for their constituents or the larger House membership. The purpose of the House was to give the nation a platform that was emblematic of the current topics of debate among the public. In so doing, the House allows for an exploration of ideas and policies that may or may not benefit the country but can be debated and shared nonetheless. Therefore, I believe it unnecessary that someone's experience is specific to government before being elected to the House. Bureaucrats understand how government functions and while non-government backgrounds provide outside insights that, when are brought together, can develop effective and useful policies.
The greatest challenges we will face as a nation over the next decade are a combination of determining our national direction and values. With the election of Donald Trump, we saw two loud and divergent populations arise at the end of 2016. On one side you had a cult of personality that clings to "traditional American values" with a side of religious conservatism infused in the dialogue. On the other, you have a fierce pro-government involvement group that strongly advocates for excessive protections and, in some ways, providing for Americans directly. As we approach the 2020 election, these two factions are continuing to collide with one another. While this is ongoing, we've seen expansive government programs trying to appease both sides with little awareness or concern to our growing national debt and a push away from a constitutionally guided government. There are times when we are fifty states building one country, and there are times when we are one country made of fifty states. At some point soon we need to come together as a nation and determine how we want to move forward, and in so doing, address outstanding questions we've placed on the back burner. How will we pay for our national debt? Why does Congress allow the Presidency such liberty to enact policy without Congressional oversight? What do we, as a nation, want to do to move forward in the coming decade? These aren't easy questions to answer, and we need leaders who can address these tough choices with tact and awareness to the needs of their constituents.
It's hard to choose between the committees, each of them addresses so many important areas in our nation. If elected to the House, I would be interested in serving on Natural resources, Appropriations, Armed Services, Energy and Commerce, and Foreign Affairs.
I think that two years is both the right and wrong amount of time. The sad truth with any elected position is that at some point you either move on or get reelected. For members of congress, the useable time can quickly be eaten up by the desire to serve additional terms. However, if you plan your time right and you keep your priorities straight, I think two years gives more than enough time to be an effective legislator.
One could argue that we have term limits already built into our Constitution. Every two years the House of Representatives is up for reelection along with one-third of the Senate. I think the decision to give a specific number of years to the Presidency was out of fear of a dynastic president. We have to remember that no President before FDR served longer than two years and while the circumstances surrounding his third and fourth terms were extraordinary, the fact of the matter is this allowed him to expand the powers of the executive nearly unchecked by Congress. Due to the shortness of a House term and the length of a Senate term, I think that they are fairly evenly balanced when given to the public for reelection. I believe the correct answer in addressing term limits lies with addressing re-districting and gerrymandering.
My party's leadership is, simply put, a bit of a joke. I respect those who seek to bring my party to the forefront of the national politic, however, we have such significant hurdles to overcome, I have no idea whether my joining their leadership would be beneficial or cause more harm.
I can't point to a specific representative that comes to mind immediately, however, I will say that I am thankful that there are more representatives today who are willing to come out of the party closet and declare their independent status. New Hampshire is a purple community, we lead left and right on various issues but have a large voting block that is noticeably independent of major party moves. It's healthy for the country as a whole to continue to support and commend those willing to throw off party mandates and stand for their principles.
There's no specific story I want to speak to, but one common theme I've heard from my district is that it's too expensive to afford essentials. Healthcare in particular, for so many people, seems to be too far out of reach regardless of whether they're using the public exchanges or an employer-sponsored plan. We need to do more to increase direct to consumer healthcare access and remove cost increasing barriers.
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See also
2020 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on March 15, 2020
Senators
Maggie Hassan (D)
Jeanne Shaheen (D)
Representatives
District 1
Chris Pappas (D)
District 2
Democratic Party (4)
