Most of the candidates running for the Republican nomination for the District 4 Executive Council seat acknowledged that they’re running for a position the public likely knows little about.

The five-member council, created in 1679 to balance gubernatorial power, confirms the appointments of judges, commissioners, and notaries, and holds power over state finances by approving contracts over $10,000. It also considers criminal pardon requests.

The New Hampshire state primary on Sept. 10 will feature six candidates running for the Republican nomination to the District 4 seat: Terese Bastarache, Robert Burns, John Reagan, John Stephen, Ryan Terrell, and Ross W. Terrio. On the Democrat side, Jim O’Connell is running unopposed.

Some of the candidates have years of political experience at the state and local levels, and others have backgrounds in finance or, like Burns, Stephen, and Terrell, run their own businesses. A few have lived in New Hampshire their whole lives while others moved here and fell in love with the state. Some of the candidates work in healthcare while others work in the law, consulting, or beauty industries. Regardless of background and experience, each candidate cares about serving New Hampshire and seeks to create an impact on the Council.

As “citizen representatives,” councilors serve two-year terms. In April, Ted Gatsas of Manchester announced his intent to retire from the council, leaving an opening for his seat. The district spreads across towns and cities in three counties, including Allenstown, Auburn, Barnstead, Barrington, Bedford, Candia, Chichester, Deerfield, Epsom, Goffstown, Hooksett, Lee, Londonderry, Loudon, Manchester, Northwood, Nottingham, Pembroke, Pittsfield and Strafford.

Terese Bastarache

Bastarache, a registered nurse living in Loudon, describes herself as a constitutionalist and a fiscally conservative humanitarian. She said she is seeking office to hold the state accountable for its financial decisions. With a background in finance, Bastarache previously worked as a director for Washington Mutual and a client relations manager for Granite State Management.

“My decision to run is clearly to be that watchdog for the people,” Bastarache said. “There really needs to be accountability. There needs to be transparency. We need to make sure certain, if at all possible, that we unflaw the bidding process so that more of that contract work goes to in-state contractors, which would create jobs and put more food on the table for individuals and as we’re doing these contracts, that there’s accountability and oversight of those contractors.”

Bastarache started attending Executive Council meetings three years ago during the pandemic and rallied against COVID-19 restrictions and mandates. She was among a group of people arrested at a 2021 meeting for disrupting proceedings over state vaccine policy. The charges were later dropped. The experience sparked Bastarache’s interest in the council. In 2022, she ran against Gatsas in the primary.

Values: She said she focuses on family-centered policies, community empowerment through mental health support and youth development, economic prosperity, child welfare reform, environmental conservation, government accountability, infrastructure investment, education reform

Robert Burns

Burns said he has long been interested in serving on the Executive Council because of its power to confirm judicial appointments, an issue close to his heart since the murder of his brother in 2005 and other cases he has followed.

The Bedford resident runs Burns Automation, a pharmaceutical company. Burns previously won the Republican primary for the District 4 Council seat in 2012 and 2014 but was beaten in the general election by Chris Pappas. He has served as Hillsborough County Treasurer, Deputy County Treasurer, Manchester Selectman, an alternate delegate to the Republican National Convention in 2008, Deputy State Director for Newt Gingrich’s 2016 campaign, and a delegate to the 2016 Republican National Convention.

A self-proclaimed “huge Trump guy,” and son of former State Representative Leslie Burns, he expressed concern over the sex abuse cases at the Sununu Youth Development Center and the way the Division for Children, Youth, and Families has handled its affairs, which motivated his candidacy.

“You hear a lot of people when they run for Executive Council they talk about the $10,000 contracts, or ‘I’m going to keep an eye on this and that,’” Burns said. “I’m a little less concerned about the nickel and diming compared to who we put in charge of the departments and also who we select as judges. That’s really where I have more of a focus.”

Values: He said he wants to focus on examining state contracts to ensure taxpayers are protected, ensuring judicial appointees follow the state and U.S. constitutions, seeking qualified candidates to run state departments, preserving the New Hampshire Advantage, stopping unconstitutional government mandates, and defending the Second Amendment.

John Reagan

Deerfield resident Reagan spent six years as a state representative and 10 years as a state senator before retiring from the State House. After two years away, he realized he wanted to run for office again and decided to shift his focus to Executive Council.

Reagan says his legislative experience and the array of boards and committees he served on have set him up well to do the job of executive councilor since he has experience at different levels of decision-making. He previously served as a Deerfield selectman and a member of the Planning Board. Before his career in New Hampshire politics, Reagan worked for the Baltimore, Maryland Fire Department for 28 years. He explained that witnessing the inner workings of a big city prepared him well to serve District 4, which includes Manchester.

“I have the most experience of anybody in my primary at all the different levels of state government and how pay rates get set, how budgets work,” Reagan said. “I was vice chair of Senate finance. I was chairman of the joint committee on employee classification, and we recommended changes in pay rates when the state was trying to hire and couldn’t find people at the salaries they were offering. I’ve gotten into some degree of depth in how these decisions are made.”

Values: He said he wants to focus on infrastructure and transportation, therapeutic cannabis, and special education. “This is not a policy job,” Reagan said. “The council is there to protect people from the governor, that is the reason it was created. When you read what the council’s responsibilities are, that dictates what the focus will be.”

John Stephen

Stephen, who lives in Manchester, is the founder and partner at The Stephen Group, a consulting company. He previously served as Commissioner of the Department of Health and Human Services, Deputy Commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Safety, Assistant Attorney General, and Assistant Hillsborough County Attorney.

He seeks to provide strong oversight and accountability while making sure the voices of the people are heard throughout the decision-making process. Stephen said he felt drawn to the role because of its ability to create a direct impact.

“My approach will be to thoroughly analyze each issue, ensuring that every decision is made with the best interest of the people in mind,” Stephen said. “While the role is more about oversight than introducing new issues, I believe that by asking the right questions and demanding transparency, we can influence positive outcomes. My focus will be on ensuring that the issues we address align with the needs and values of our communities.”

Values: He said he wants to focus on accountability in government, processes around state appointments, state contracts, infrastructure development, healthcare services, responsible fiscal management, public safety, protecting individual freedoms, and ensuring that all residents have access to the services they need.

Ryan Terrell

The founder of TRYBE Hair Care and national sales director for SOLVE Beauty Brands, Terrell says he has always felt passionate about giving back to his community. He served on the State Board of Education from 2021-2024 and has been involved with the Daniel Webster Council Executive Board and the New Hampshire American Heart Association, in addition to serving as the vice chair of the New Hampshire GOP.

Terrell, who lives in Lee, values opportunities to engage others in politics. In his role at the state Republican party, he has dedicated himself to connecting with both young and undecided voters.

“I am running for Executive Council because I’m a person that has always believed in service,” Terrell said. “I’ve always been a big advocate of opportunities for all and not just segmenting children, or society in general, along race or gender lines. Really creating a tide that raises all ships is very important to me.”

Terrell said that he believes in the power of individual opportunity and capitalism. His nomination to the State Board of Education was rejected three times by the Executive Council before being approved, but Terrell said that experience only made him want to run more.

“Serving where I’m living, making sure we’re always looking out for folks who don’t necessarily have access to fight for themselves, being an advocate for those who may not have all the information and making sure folks are informed on how their state is actually happening in politics and history, that’s just always who I’ve been,” he added.

Values: He said he wants to focus on education, ensuring the state remains fiscally conservative, approving appointments of the best and brightest citizens to serve in New Hampshire government, advocating for the people in his district, and serving as a watchdog to the state treasury.

Ross W. Terrio

A moderate who prides himself on listening to all sides of an issue and making informed decisions, Terrio works as a pharmacist and volunteers as an attorney in his free time. Currently an alderman in the city of Manchester, he previously served as a state representative from 2011 to 2012 and as a three-term member of the Manchester School Board.

“I’m open-minded,” Terrio said. “I think about things. I try to think about the consequences. I put the work in. I do constituent services.”

As a state representative, Terrio spent time on the public works and highways committee. Similarly, he said his terms on the Manchester Board of Education contributed to his experience approving budgets, contracts, and appointments. He seeks the District 4 seat because of the direct impact the council has in shaping the government and the state.

“I don’t adopt a position quickly or because it’s what the party says,” Terrio added. “I think about things before I do it.”

Values: He said he is a fiscal conservative, who wants to focus on infrastructure, public safety, public education.

Rachel Wachman can be reached at rwachman@cmonitor.com.