Rich Girard Says Victoria Sullivan Has “No Functional Understanding of City Government”
Refusal to Support Republican Challenger Likely Due to Dreams of Becoming Mayor in 2023 — OPINION
MANCHESTER, NH — The bitter bitchery that has characterized Rich Girard’s rhetorical jihad against Victoria Sullivan reached a climax last night when the sore loser characterized Sullivan as “Someone who has no functional understanding of city government.”
“Now we have a choice between the status quo and someone who has no functional understanding of city government.” — Richard H. Girard
In the final week of the campaign, Girard and Sullivan engaged in a bitter slanging match on the Girard for Mayor Facebook page. Girard had taken Sullivan to task for being untruthful about her claims that she didn’t know that Girard had challenged her to a debate. Sullivan hit back by attacking Girard’s character.
Rich Girard’s dismissal of Victoria Sullivan as being essentially incompetent and unfit to be mayor was part of his post-concession remarks to Manchester Ink Link. The putdown came after he said that Sullivan’s assertion that they had agreed to endorse one another in the general election against incumbent Mayor Joyce Craig was untrue.
On the hustings on primary day, Girard had told people that he believed that he not only would beat Sullivan and come in #2, but that he would defeat Craig in November.
Unofficial results show Rich Girard coming in 129 votes behind Victoria Sullivan. He now faces at two more years working the “Sunshine Shift” at U.P.S. before he can make another bid for mayor.
Girard’s refusal to endorse Sullivan likely is motivated by his desire to be mayor. His strong finish was unexpected, and gives him some momentum for the 2023 race. A Victoria Sullivan victory in November likely would dash those hopes, as both are Republicans and need to call on the same base.
