Devine Strategies : Press Release Detail

"Do you want to speak with this tone? If that is your stance then what is left to talk about? I hope you avoid interfering in Iran's affairs and express your regret in a way that the Iranian nation is informed of it."

- Discredited Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad responding to comments by President Barack Obama who said he was "shocked and appalled" over violence targeting Iranians protesting massive voter fraud. (June 25, 2009)

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July 23, 2009

Lamontagne Hires Noted New Hampshire Political Consultant

Potential New Hampshire U.S. Senate candidate taps former Romney campaign manager Jim Merrill to provide political and strategic counsel as he tests the waters for a potential U.S. Senate campaign

CONTACT:

Ovide M. Lamontagne
603.305.1637

MANCHESTER, New Hampshire – Former NH GOP gubernatorial nominee Ovide Lamontagne announced today that he has hired Jim Merrill, Managing Director of the Devine Strategies consulting firm in Concord, NH, to serve as his senior advisor as he considers the prospect of running for U.S. Senate in New Hampshire in 2010.

Mr. Merrill most recently served as the New Hampshire State Director for Gov. Mitt Romney’s 2008 Presidential campaign, and a few months ago was recognized by Business NH Magazine as one of New Hampshire’s 25 Leaders of the Future. Previously, he directed the successful 2000 general election campaign of President George W. Bush in the critical state of New Hampshire, and in 2004 he served as the New Hampshire Grassroots Co-Chair for President Bush’s re-election campaign. An attorney, Mr. Merrill previously served as counsel to the 2004 Bush-Cheney and 2008 McCain-Palin Presidential campaigns in New Hampshire, as well as the New Hampshire Republican State Committee.

Lamontagne noted “I continue to seriously consider a run for U.S. Senate next year. We have heard a lot of talk about change in Washington, but the only action we see is more spending and more government regulation and bailouts. I believe a new direction is required, one that demands and delivers real reform with real results. As I begin to speak with, and listen to, voters and leaders from around the state, I am heartened at the encouragement I am receiving regarding my potential candidacy. Jim is one of the most highly regarded operatives in New Hampshire and is a rising star in the Republican Party. He has shown time and again what it takes to build a successful campaign team from the ground up, and I am pleased to have the benefit of his experience and counsel.”

Ovide M. Lamontagne served as Chairman of the NH State Board of Education from 1993-1996, and in 1996 he was the Republican nominee for governor of New Hampshire. Today, he practices law at Devine, Millimet & Branch, P.A., and is a recognized leader in the charitable and non-profit communities, having been honored in June as New Hampshire’s Distinguished Citizen of the Year by the Daniel Webster Council – Boy Scouts of America.

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