November 8, 2006 11:42AM # REAL ID and a Sweep for Democrats in New Hampshire By [Jim Harper](https://www.cato.org/people/jim-harper) --- SHARE There are many explanations for the strong result Democrats got in the election yesterday. Focusing on New Hampshire, there is a neat correlation between support for the REAL ID Act and defeat at the polls yesterday. Jeb Bradley was one of “[s](http://concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060503/REPOSITORY/60503002)[everal Washington officials … urging state senators to support Real ID](http://concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060503/REPOSITORY/60503002)” when the state legislature was considering a bill to reject it. He was defeated by Carol Shea-Porter, a surprise victor who enjoyed little help from national Democrats. [Here’s Shea-Porter speaking at an anti-REAL-ID rally](http://www.carolforcongress.com/media/c4c_realid_042206.wmv). Representing the Second District, Charlie Bass was an original co-sponsor of the REAL ID Act, and [he touted that fact on his Web site](http://www.house.gov/bass/cl_020705.html). His replacement is Paul Hodes. Hodes is not a full-throated critic of REAL ID, but he did tell AP, “I do not favor creating a new central federal database using the permanent images of these documents.… [A piece of paper is not the solution to securing our borders from terrorism](http://www.hodesforcongress.com/articles_details.asp?id=126). We need to better coordinate our existing law enforcement databases and watch lists.” The Republican leadership of the [state senate gutted and killed](http://concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060503/REPOSITORY/60503002) New Hampshire’s bill to reject REAL ID earlier this year. In a debate Monday, Republican Senate President Ted Gatsas said “[There’s no question REAL ID makes sense](http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Gatsas%2C+Backus+debate+smoking+ban+and+Real+ID&articleId=b0276b8a-3d44-467d-a9aa-9515f4fbc5f1).” Ted Gatsas will no longer be Senate President. Democrats [took control of the New Hampshire State Senate](http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2006/11/08/nh_democrats_take_control_of_state_senate/) for only the second time since 1911. Gatsas’ re-election bid was too close to call overnight, but it now appears he narrowly beat back his Democratic opponent. As to REAL ID opponents, [Governor John Lynch was re-elected](http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2006/11/08/lynch_wins_second_term_as_nh_gov/). Voters gave control of the New Hampshire Executive Council (an additional legislative body that would have to approve the acceptance of federal funds for implementing REAL ID) [to Democrats](http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2006/11/08/dems_poised_to_control_nh_executive_council/) for good measure. Of course, many things influence the outcome of elections, but REAL ID has been fiercely debated in New Hampshire this year. It’s not a coincidence that the party on the wrong side of the national ID issue was voted out of power. ##### Related Tags [Constitutional Law](https://www.cato.org/constitutional-law), [Technology and Privacy](https://www.cato.org/technology-privacy), [Robert A. Levy Center for Constitutional Studies](https://www.cato.org/robert-levy-center-constitutional-studies) [![Creative Commons License](/build/cato_2020/images/creative-commons.svg)](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) This work is licensed under a [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/).