If I wanted to win a New Hampshire primary in January, I’d be studying the results of Tuesday’s local elections like the Talmud, looking for any issues that seemed to resonate in a low-turnout election.

Voters in Dover endorsed a spending cap, tying city spending to the growth of inflation.

City Councilor David Scott organized the tax cap drive, and its approval was seen as a victory for his fiscal conservatism. He also was reelected to his Ward 3 council seat over two competitors.
Scott said yesterday he doesn’t believe the cap will lead to cuts in city services. He said taxes have grown at an “unsustainable” pace in recent years, and the cap is merely meant to check those increases.

Manchester Mayor Frank Guinta won reelection, and during the campaign, he “touted the 1.7 percent [city tax] decrease as one of the most significant accomplishments of his two years in office.”

Guinta was an especially big target for Democrats. After last year, when Republicans in Concord and Washington were categorically swept from office, state GOP chairman Fergus Cullen dubbed Guinta the “last Republican standing.”

Considering how bad 2006 was for New Hampshire Republicans – losing both House seats in the state – signs of life in the local Republican parties are good signs, and perhaps an example that some sharp presidential campaign should study.