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CONCORD, NH — Today, NHDP Chair Ray Buckley sent a letter to 2024 Democratic presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr. calling on him to cancel an appearance at an upcoming libertarian event run by the extremist group the Free State Project. Read the full letter below.
Dear Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., We have recently become aware of your scheduled appearance as a speaker at the annual Porcupine Freedom Festival, or "PorcFest" on Thursday, June 22, 2023. Porcfest is sponsored by the libertarian extremist organization called Free State Project. We respect your dedication to public service and your family’s irreplaceable role in the history of our Republic. However, we must express our serious disappointment and grave concerns about your planned participation in this event.
The Free State Project is an organization that has been active for two decades. Its express goal is to encourage libertarians from across America to move to New Hampshire to seize control of government on the state and local level and impose a dystopian lifestyle on the people of the Granite State. Their vision of eliminating New Hampshire’s tradition of caring for the common good is fundamentally at odds with the values of the NH Democratic Party. We feel it is essential to underscore the fact that the Free State Project's dark, dystopian philosophy and their actions have already had a significant and negative impact on New Hampshire.
Over the years, members of the Free State Project have campaigned to — and taken direct measures towards — significantly cutting funding for New Hampshire public schools, resulting in deep turmoil within individual communities and a sweeping, statewide expansion of a school voucher scheme that is detrimental to our cherished public education system. They also reject common-sense gun control measures, advocating instead for absolute unrestricted access to firearms by anyone. This in addition to pushing a concerted legislative effort towards having New Hampshire secede from the United States. These stances are not only contrary to the values of the Democratic Party but also, we believe, detrimental to the well-being of the people of New Hampshire.
“Free Staters” have infiltrated and in many cases taken control of the New Hampshire Republican Party at all levels. Free Staters are nearly universally Republican primary voters, they are highly unlikely to vote in the Democratic Primary. Free Staters view with hostility our candidates, elected officials, values and our party as a whole.
We understand that there are a few areas of agreement between your campaign and the Free State Project, however, we believe that these small numbers of shared interests do not offset the damage that the Free State Project's broader agenda has done to our state.
As a candidate for the presidency and a figure who commands considerable public attention, your presence at PorcFest will be seen as an endorsement of the Free State Project and its radical goals. Your presence will lend legitimacy to an extremist movement that aggressively works against the interests of New Hampshire residents.
We ask that you reconsider your decision to attend and speak at PorcFest. Instead, we invite you to engage with the people of New Hampshire through other venues and forums that better align with the Democratic Party's vision for a fair, inclusive, and prosperous society.
We look forward to hearing your response.
Sincerely,
Ray Buckley Chairman New Hampshire Democratic Party