Ernesto Leonardo Gonzalez (New Hampshire)
Ernesto Leonardo Gonzalez (Republican Party) is a member of theNew Hampshire House of Representatives, representingMerrimack 3. He assumed office on December 4, 2024. His current term ends on December 2, 2026.
Gonzalez (Republican Party) ran for election to theNew Hampshire House of Representatives to representMerrimack 3. He won in the general election onNovember 5, 2024.
Gonzalez completed Ballotpedia'sCandidate Connection survey in 2024.Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Ernesto Leonardo Gonzalez was born in Havana, Cuba. Gonzalez earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Massachusetts, Boston in 1996 and a graduate degree from Tufts University in 1998. He also graduated from Emerson College in 2002. His career experience includes working as a teacher of Spanish, U.S. history, international history, and Spanish, British, and American literature. Gonzalez has been a member of the Merrimack Republican Party.[1][2] Gonzalez holds a certificate of teaching from Tufts University, a certificate in editing and publishing from Emerson College, and a principal certification from Plymouth State University.[3][4]
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according toBillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Elections
2024
See also: New Hampshire House of Representatives elections, 2024
General election
General election for New Hampshire House of Representatives Merrimack 3 (2 seats)
Bryan Morse andErnesto Leonardo Gonzalez defeatedScott Burns andJustine Hoppe in the general election for New Hampshire House of Representatives Merrimack 3 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Bryan Morse (R) ![]() | 28.9 | 2,178 | |
| ✔ | Ernesto Leonardo Gonzalez (R) ![]() | 26.7 | 2,009 | |
| Scott Burns (D) | 24.0 | 1,811 | ||
| Justine Hoppe (D) | 20.3 | 1,531 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 7 | ||
There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 7,536 | |||
= candidate completed theBallotpedia 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. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for New Hampshire House of Representatives Merrimack 3 (2 seats)
Scott Burns andJustine Hoppe advanced from the Democratic primary for New Hampshire House of Representatives Merrimack 3 on September 10, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Scott Burns | 53.8 | 443 | |
| ✔ | Justine Hoppe | 45.3 | 373 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.9 | 7 | ||
There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 823 | |||
= candidate completed theBallotpedia 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. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for New Hampshire House of Representatives Merrimack 3 (2 seats)
Bryan Morse andErnesto Leonardo Gonzalez defeatedWerner Horn in the Republican primary for New Hampshire House of Representatives Merrimack 3 on September 10, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Bryan Morse ![]() | 37.7 | 503 | |
| ✔ | Ernesto Leonardo Gonzalez ![]() | 36.1 | 481 | |
| Werner Horn | 25.0 | 333 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 1.3 | 17 | ||
There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 1,334 | |||
= candidate completed theBallotpedia 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. | ||||
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Gonzalez in this election.
2022
See also: New Hampshire House of Representatives elections, 2022
General election
General election for New Hampshire House of Representatives Merrimack 3 (2 seats)
IncumbentDave Testerman and incumbentJames Mason defeatedScott Burns andMiriam Kovacs in the general election for New Hampshire House of Representatives Merrimack 3 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Dave Testerman (R) | 29.9 | 1,584 | |
| ✔ | James Mason (R) | 27.0 | 1,430 | |
| Scott Burns (D) | 23.6 | 1,253 | ||
| Miriam Kovacs (D) | 19.4 | 1,026 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 6 | ||
Incumbents arebolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 5,299 | |||
= candidate completed theBallotpedia 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. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for New Hampshire House of Representatives Merrimack 3 (2 seats)
Scott Burns andMiriam Kovacs advanced from the Democratic primary for New Hampshire House of Representatives Merrimack 3 on September 13, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Scott Burns | 52.7 | 269 | |
| ✔ | Miriam Kovacs | 46.5 | 237 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.8 | 4 | ||
There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 510 | |||
= candidate completed theBallotpedia 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. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for New Hampshire House of Representatives Merrimack 3 (2 seats)
IncumbentDave Testerman and incumbentJames Mason defeatedErnesto Leonardo Gonzalez in the Republican primary for New Hampshire House of Representatives Merrimack 3 on September 13, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Dave Testerman | 38.2 | 411 | |
| ✔ | James Mason | 33.4 | 359 | |
Ernesto Leonardo Gonzalez ![]() | 27.7 | 298 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.7 | 8 | ||
Incumbents arebolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 1,076 | |||
= candidate completed theBallotpedia 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. | ||||
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also:Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Ernesto Leonardo Gonzalez completedBallotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Gonzalez's responses.
Expand all |Collapse all
- I am entering the race for State Representative for District 3 in Franklin, New Hampshire. As a survivor from Communist Cuba, I am fighting not only for my city and State but for every American who loves freedom and hates the loss of our constitutional rights and the Marxist ideology poisoning our society,
- We need to unite to defeat Leftist ideology in every facet of our society. We must restore fiscal responsibility, lower taxes on working Americans and put an end to corruption from the local to the federal level.
- All lives are important. We must further prevent the destruction of the nuclear family and bring back quality education--not indoctrination. Ideological teaching must be destroyed in order to bring back honesty and high achievement to our educational institutions.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
2022
Ernesto Leonardo Gonzalez completedBallotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Gonzalez's responses.
Expand all |Collapse all
I am a Cuban immigrant who arrived as a political refugee with my parents Ernesto Gonzalez Sr. and Emma Gonzalez on July 5, 1968. I lived with them in Miami Florida (1968-70), lived and went to school in Boston, Massachusetts (1970-2002). After graduating from Catholic Memorial High School (West Roxbury) in 1977, I proceeded to enter U.Mass/ Boston graduating Magna Cum Laude in 1996 in English/American Studies. I then received a full scholarship to Tufts University ( Medford, MA) 1996-97 where I earned an MA in Education and a CAGS in Educational Research in 1998. In 1997 I taught in Massachusetts (1997-2002). I also graduated from Emerson College with a certificate in Publishing and Editing. In 2002 my wife and I moved to New Hampshire to escape the political landscape to a more conservative state. I have taught in New Hampshire since 2002. I am a strong conservative against Socialism/Communism, pro Second Amendment, First Amendment advocate and freedom in education champion.
- I am here to defend both the State and National Constitutions
- l am here to restore integrity in our educational system
I am here to defend the right to our Second Amendment rights
which also teaches anti-American or unpatriotic propaganda. I am against any attempt to teach CRT or any socialistic/communist/ Marxist ideology or teach inappropriate sexual teachings to any age group—particularly in elementary school, also teaching truth in History and under all circumstances, not promoting forced indoctrination. A marketplace of ideas is essential to true critical thinking and developmental growth. Free speech should never be restricted.
"American Marxism has made great progress toward instituting its goal over the last several years. If it to be defeated, as it must--albeit daunting and complex mission--its existence must first be acknowledged and labeled for what it is, the urgency of the moment must be realized, and the emergence of a unified, patriotic front of previously docile, divergent, and /or disputations societal, cultural, and political factions and forces, which have in common their belief that America is worth defending, must immediately galvanize around and rally to the cause. We must rise to the challenge, as did our Founding Fathers, when they confronted the most powerful force on earth, the British Empire, and defeated it. Admittedly, in numerous ways today's threat is more byzantine, as it now inhabits most of our institutions and menaces from within, making engagement difficult and complicated. Nonetheless, I fervently believe America as we know it will be forever lost if we do not prevail." (from Chapter 1)
Lillian Wade, May 17, 2019
"Public officials have different profiles for success. What is a strength for one may be a weakness for another, yet both could be very successful. Maximizing strengths and minimizing weaknesses are essential characteristics in any public official. They should be able to communicate well, be committed to public service and possess self-confidence. In addition they must be honest and have integrity to retain the trust of the public.
A good communicator will have the ability to mentally move and motivate his audience. He needs to speak well in public and read body language. Besides communicating his vision to his staff, he needs to be able to convince and inspire others to work toward his vision. A leader’s charm helps him to persuade listeners about his plans and policies and that he has their best interests at heart. Good public speaking skills help gain faith of the people by the ability to impart information about the policies and strategies of his office.
A public official must exude confidence as well as inspire confidence in others. He needs to be physically fit, mentally alert and well-trained in public service. The public will not think of a weak, shabbily dressed and short-tempered person as confident; he is more likely to invite jeers. Often you can tell that a person lacks confidence by his posture, or how he walks or even how he shakes your hand.
Job Discriptiom of a House Representative: (Careertrend.com)
"When the Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution of the United States, they all shared the belief that the powers of government should be divided equally among the governing units. As a result, two governing bodies were formed to ensure that the rights and desires of the people of each state are recognized. One group is called the Senate and the other group is the House of Representatives. However, the qualifications and job description for each governing body are different.
Official Job Requirements
The United States Constitution (Article I, Section 2), lists the official requirements you must have to be a member of the House of Representatives. One, you must be at least 25 years of age. Two, you must be a citizen of the United States for at least seven years prior to election. Lastly, you must be a resident of the state you choose to represent."
Unofficial Job Requirements
The House of Representatives (Why a Unique Institution)
"More than any other part of our government, the House of Representatives is directly responsible and responsive to the people. A representative speaks for about 550,000 people in his or her own district--the district in which he or she lives.
On the other hand, a senator speaks for all the people in his or her state. A senator, therefore, must consider the interests of all the people in his or her state whether they are farmers, businessmen, laborers, or oil millionaires.
A representative can have a more narrow focus on issues, because he or she speaks for the people in a smaller area. He or she can travel the represented area and hear the complaints and hopes of the people in the district. When people in his or her district visit Washington, the representative tries to see them and make arrangements for them to see special sites of interest.
The Hall in the House of Representatives has certain activities take place within its walls. Here the President speaks to the joint sessions of the Congress. Here decisions are made on war and peace. Here over 218 million people act through their representatives. Here issues of the most importance to world history are decided. Here laws are made. Here billions and billions of dollars are budgeted out of the taxes Americans pay into the Treasury of the United States."
The House of Representatives has special powers that no other branch has. It has the power--
To start all revenue (money) bills.To elect a President if no candidate receives a majority of the electoral votes. (Truman Library.org)
To impeach civil officers.
"The American constitutional tradition provides a corrective. The Federalist lauds experience as “the least fallible guide of human opinions” (No. 6); “the oracle of truth” (No. 20); and “the guide that ought always to be followed whenever it can be found” (No. 52). Experience is “nowhere more desirable or more essential,” according to Federalist 72, “than in the first magistrate of the nation.”
To be sure, our leaders can’t reasonably be expected to acquire experience in all relevant areas. But we can expect them to become students of history, which, Federalist 5 observes, provides the opportunity to learn from others’ “experience without paying the price which it cost them.”
The Founders, political men and soldier-citizens steeped in history, shared their contemporary Edmund Burke’s view that prudence, the knowledge nurtured by experience and the virtue of reasoning about concrete circumstances, is “the god of this lower world” and the “supreme guide” in politics.
Abortion opponents run the gamut from restrictionists to outright abolitionists, and they are arguably the most passionate ideologues on the right side of the political spectrum. In fact, on ‘our side,’ at least in terms of spunk and passion, I would put an abortion abolitionist up against any rainbow-flag wielding leftist demonstrator, any day of the week. They’re not violent like Antifa, but whether it’s the halls of some State House or in front of literally every abortion clinic in America, they’re not afraid to get out there and loudly and proudly protest what they see as America’s greatest sin. And, unlike Antifa, they’re also not afraid to show their faces. They want to ‘End Abortion Now,’ as in right now, and the logic they use - the fact that our country legally murders millions of its own babies every year and a righteous God probably has a problem with that - is tough to argue with. There’s certainly a solid argument for putting abortion at the top of the list.
Tax policy and deregulation are pretty similar issues, insofar as both are inexorably linked to whether we have a strong, churning economy or whether leftists like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren manage to turn us into some sort of Venezuela-like hellscape. It’s not that the rich shouldn’t pay taxes, or that corporations shouldn’t be stopped from remaking America into a polluted, smog-infested, apocalyptic wasteland. However, when the left takes the pendulum too far - as they do on every issue - too much taxation and too much regulation tend to stifle economic growth to levels that could cause suffering on a mass scale. In other words, the point for economic policy being at the top of the list is a mighty strong one indeed. (Town Hall)
"The Founding Fathers - the people who wrote the Constitution - did, in fact, consider and reject the idea of congressional term limits. In Federalist Papers No. 53, James Madison, father of the Constitution, explained why the Constitutional Convention of 1787 rejected term limits.
"[A] few of the members of Congress will possess superior talents; will by frequent re-elections, become members of long standing; will be thoroughly masters of the public business, and perhaps not unwilling to avail themselves of those advantages. The greater the proportion of new members of Congress, and the less the information of the bulk of the members, the more apt they be to fall into the snares that may be laid before them," wrote Madison." Term Limits and the Constitution
The Founding Fathers - the people who wrote the Constitution - did, in fact, consider and reject the idea of congressional term limits. In Federalist Papers No. 53, James Madison, father of the Constitution, explained why the Constitutional Convention of 1787 rejected term limits.
"[A] few of the members of Congress will possess superior talents; will by frequent re-elections, become members of long standing; will be thoroughly masters of the public business, and perhaps not unwilling to avail themselves of those advantages. The greater the proportion of new members of Congress, and the less the information of the bulk of the members, the more apt they be to fall into the snares that may be laid before them," wrote Madison.
Partisans say respect and compromise are important: Pew Center (Alec Tyson)
"Republicans and Democrats overwhelmingly say it is very important for elected officials in the opposing party to treat officials from their own party with respect. They are much less demanding when it comes to members of their party treating the other side with respect, according to a new Pew Research Center study of political discourse in the United States.
Democrats and Republicans place less importance on respectful conduct from officials in their own partyThe study finds a similar pattern of opinion in views of political compromise: Republicans and Democrats both like the idea of compromise in principle and place great importance on the opposing party making compromises with members of their party. But much smaller shares say it’s very important for politicians in their own party to compromise.
These are just two of the many examples of Republicans and Democrats setting higher standards for the opposing party than for their own party, according to the new study.
The gaps in views on the importance of respect are especially striking, given that 85% of the public – including nearly equal shares in both parties – says the political debate in this country has become less respectful in recent years.
A sizable majority of all U.S. adults (68%) say it’s very important that elected officials treat their political opponents with respect; another 24% say this is somewhat important. Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents (72%) are somewhat more likely than Republicans and Republican leaners (63%) to place high importance on this quality in politicians generally.
The Political Dynamics Behind Government Budgeting Process
By Michael Oyakojo (PA Times)
February 17, 2015
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Note: Gonzalez submitted the above survey responses to Ballotpedia on July 8, 2022.
July 6 submission
- I am here to defend both the State and National Constitutions
- l am here to restore integrity in our educational system
- I am here to defend the right to our Second Amendment right t
which also teaches anti-American or unpatriotic propaganda. I am against any attempt to teach CRT or any socialistic/communist/ Marxist ideology or teach inappropriate sexual teachings to any age group—particularly in elementary school, also teaching truth in History and under all circumstances, not promoting forced indoctrination. A marketplace of ideas is essential to true critical thinking and developmental growth. Free speech should never be restricted.
"American Marxism has made grat progress toward instituting its goal over the last several years. If it to be defeated, as it must--albeit daunting and complex mission--its existence must first be acknowledged and labeled for what it is, the urgency of the moment must be realized, ands the emergence odf a unified, patriotic front of previously docile, divergent, and /or disputations societal, cultural, and political factions and forces, which have in common their belief that America is worth defending, must immediately galvanize around and rally to the cause. We must rise to the challenge, as did our Founding Fathers, when they comfontedthe most powerrful force on earth, the British Empire, and defeated it. Admittedly, in numerous ways today's threat is more byzantine, as it now inhabits most of our institutions and menaces from within, making engagement difficult and complicated. Nonetheless, I fervently believe America as we know it wiull be forever lost if we do not prevail." (from Chapter 1)
Good Qualities for a Public Official (the classroom.com)
Lillian Wade
Public officials have different profiles for success. What is a strength for one may be a weakness for another, yet both could be very successful. Maximizing strengths and minimizing weaknesses are essential characteristics in any public official. They should be able to communicate well, be committed to public service and possess self-confidence. In addition they must be honest and have integrity to retain the trust of the public.
Communication
A good communicator will have the ability to mentally move and motivate his audience. He needs to speak well in public and read body language. Besides communicating his vision to his staff, he needs to be able to convince and inspire others to work toward his vision. A leader’s charm helps him to persuade listeners about his plans and policies and that he has their best interests at heart. Good public speaking skills help gain faith of the people by the ability to impart information about the policies and strategies of his office.
Self-Confidence
A public official must exude confidence as well as inspire confidence in others. He needs to be physically fit, mentally alert and well-trained in public service. The public will not think of a weak, shabbily dressed and short-tempered person as confident; he is more likely to invite jeers. Often you can tell that a person lacks confidence by his posture, or how he walks or even how he shakes your hand.
Commitment
Job Discriptiom of a House Representative: (Careertrend.com)
"When the Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution of the United States, they all shared the belief that the powers of government should be divided equally among the governing units. As a result, two governing bodies were formed to ensure that the rights and desires of the people of each state are recognized. One group is called the Senate and the other group is the House of Representatives. However, the qualifications and job description for each governing body are different.
Official Job Requirements
The United States Constitution (Article I, Section 2), lists the official requirements you must have to be a member of the House of Representatives. One, you must be at least 25 years of age. Two, you must be a citizen of the United States for at least seven years prior to election. Lastly, you must be a resident of the state you choose to represent."
Unofficial Job Requirements
The House of Representatives (Why a Unique Institution)
"More than any other part of our government, the House of Representatives is directly responsible and responsive to the people. A representative speaks for about 550,000 people in his or her own district--the district in which he or she lives.
On the other hand, a senator speaks for all the people in his or her state. A senator, therefore, must consider the interests of all the people in his or her state whether they are farmers, businessmen, laborers, or oil millionaires.
A representative can have a more narrow focus on issues, because he or she speaks for the people in a smaller area. He or she can travel the represented area and hear the complaints and hopes of the people in the district. When people in his or her district visit Washington, the representative tries to see them and make arrangements for them to see special sites of interest.
The Hall in the House of Representatives has certain activities take place within its walls. Here the President speaks to the joint sessions of the Congress. Here decisions are made on war and peace. Here over 218 million people act through their representatives. Here issues of the most importance to world history are decided. Here laws are made. Here billions and billions of dollars are budgeted out of the taxes Americans pay into the Treasury of the United States."
The House of Representatives has special powers that no other branch has. It has the power--
To start all revenue (money) bills.To elect a President if no candidate receives a majority of the electoral votes. (Truman Library.org)
To impeach civil officers.
"The American constitutional tradition provides a corrective. The Federalist lauds experience as “the least fallible guide of human opinions” (No. 6); “the oracle of truth” (No. 20); and “the guide that ought always to be followed whenever it can be found” (No. 52). Experience is “nowhere more desirable or more essential,” according to Federalist 72, “than in the first magistrate of the nation.”
To be sure, our leaders can’t reasonably be expected to acquire experience in all relevant areas. But we can expect them to become students of history, which, Federalist 5 observes, provides the opportunity to learn from others’ “experience without paying the price which it cost them.”
The Founders, political men and soldier-citizens steeped in history, shared their contemporary Edmund Burke’s view that prudence, the knowledge nurtured by experience and the virtue of reasoning about concrete circumstances, is “the god of this lower world” and the “supreme guide” in politics.
Abortion opponents run the gamut from restrictionists to outright abolitionists, and they are arguably the most passionate ideologues on the right side of the political spectrum. In fact, on ‘our side,’ at least in terms of spunk and passion, I would put an abortion abolitionist up against any rainbow-flag wielding leftist demonstrator, any day of the week. They’re not violent like Antifa, but whether it’s the halls of some State House or in front of literally every abortion clinic in America, they’re not afraid to get out there and loudly and proudly protest what they see as America’s greatest sin. And, unlike Antifa, they’re also not afraid to show their faces. They want to ‘End Abortion Now,’ as in right now, and the logic they use - the fact that our country legally murders millions of its own babies every year and a righteous God probably has a problem with that - is tough to argue with. There’s certainly a solid argument for putting abortion at the top of the list.
Tax policy and deregulation are pretty similar issues, insofar as both are inexorably linked to whether we have a strong, churning economy or whether leftists like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren manage to turn us into some sort of Venezuela-like hellscape. It’s not that the rich shouldn’t pay taxes, or that corporations shouldn’t be stopped from remaking America into a polluted, smog-infested, apocalyptic wasteland. However, when the left takes the pendulum too far - as they do on every issue - too much taxation and too much regulation tend to stifle economic growth to levels that could cause suffering on a mass scale. In other words, the point for economic policy being at the top of the list is a mighty strong one indeed. (Town Hall)
"The Founding Fathers - the people who wrote the Constitution - did, in fact, consider and reject the idea of congressional term limits. In Federalist Papers No. 53, James Madison, father of the Constitution, explained why the Constitutional Convention of 1787 rejected term limits.
"[A] few of the members of Congress will possess superior talents; will by frequent re-elections, become members of long standing; will be thoroughly masters of the public business, and perhaps not unwilling to avail themselves of those advantages. The greater the proportion of new members of Congress, and the less the information of the bulk of the members, the more apt they be to fall into the snares that may be laid before them," wrote Madison." Term Limits and the Constitution
The Founding Fathers - the people who wrote the Constitution - did, in fact, consider and reject the idea of congressional term limits. In Federalist Papers No. 53, James Madison, father of the Constitution, explained why the Constitutional Convention of 1787 rejected term limits.
"[A] few of the members of Congress will possess superior talents; will by frequent re-elections, become members of long standing; will be thoroughly masters of the public business, and perhaps not unwilling to avail themselves of those advantages. The greater the proportion of new members of Congress, and the less the information of the bulk of the members, the more apt they be to fall into the snares that may be laid before them," wrote Madison.
Partisans say respect and compromise are important: Pew Center (Alec Tyson)
"Republicans and Democrats overwhelmingly say it is very important for elected officials in the opposing party to treat officials from their own party with respect. They are much less demanding when it comes to members of their party treating the other side with respect, according to a new Pew Research Center study of political discourse in the United States.
Democrats and Republicans place less importance on respectful conduct from officials in their own partyThe study finds a similar pattern of opinion in views of political compromise: Republicans and Democrats both like the idea of compromise in principle and place great importance on the opposing party making compromises with members of their party. But much smaller shares say it’s very important for politicians in their own party to compromise.
These are just two of the many examples of Republicans and Democrats setting higher standards for the opposing party than for their own party, according to the new study.
The gaps in views on the importance of respect are especially striking, given that 85% of the public – including nearly equal shares in both parties – says the political debate in this country has become less respectful in recent years.
A sizable majority of all U.S. adults (68%) say it’s very important that elected officials treat their political opponents with respect; another 24% say this is somewhat important. Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents (72%) are somewhat more likely than Republicans and Republican leaners (63%) to place high importance on this quality in politicians generally.
The Political Dynamics Behind Government Budgeting Process
By Michael Oyakojo (PA Times)
February 17, 2015
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Note: Gonzalez submitted the above survey responses to Ballotpedia on July 6, 2022.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf.Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at theFEC website. Clickhere for more on federal campaign finance law andhere for more on state campaign finance law.
| Year | Office | Status | Contributions | Expenditures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | New Hampshire House of Representatives Merrimack 3 | Won general | $0 | $0 |
| 2022 | New Hampshire House of Representatives Merrimack 3 | Lost primary | $0 | $0 |
| Grand total | $0 | $0 | ||
| Sources:OpenSecrets, Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC). | ||||
Scorecards
Ascorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of New Hampshire scorecards, email suggestions toeditor@ballotpedia.org.
See also
2024 Elections
External links
Candidate New Hampshire House of Representatives Merrimack 3 | Officeholder New Hampshire House of Representatives Merrimack 3 | Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on July 6, 2022
- ↑Ballotpedia staff, "Email communication with Ernesto Leonardo Gonzalez," July 12, 2022
- ↑Ballotpedia staff, "Submitted by Ernesto Leonardo Gonzalez," July 18, 2022
- ↑Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on July 3, 2024
- 2022 challenger
- 2022 primary (defeated)
- 2024 challenger
- 2024 general election (winner)
- 2024 primary (winner)
- Current member, New Hampshire House of Representatives
- Current state legislative member
- Current state representative
- Marquee, general candidate, 2024
- New Hampshire
- New Hampshire House of Representatives candidate, 2022
- New Hampshire House of Representatives candidate, 2024
- Republican Party
- State House candidate, 2022
- State House candidate, 2024
- State house candidates

