Grassroots Groups Nearly Flip New Hampshire Red Amid Party Resistance

NH4TRUMP and We the People NH credited with Trump surge despite resistance from state party leadership

May 24, 2025


Concord, NH – Two grassroots organizations should be credited with significantly narrowing the electoral gap in New Hampshire during the 2024 presidential election, despite what they describe as active resistance from the state’s Republican Party leadership.

The groups—NH4TRUMP and We the People NH—mounted what supporters call one of the most effective ground campaigns in recent memory, contributing to a near five-point gain in support for President Donald J. Trump over his 2020 performance in the state. Trump came within 1.5 percentage points of winning several key districts.

While the official Trump campaign worked alongside the New Hampshire GOP (NHGOP), organizers say it was NH4TRUMP’s independently coordinated efforts that provided the bulk of direct voter engagement, event organizing, and public visibility.

“Without the grassroots, there would have been no visible campaign presence in many parts of the state,” said one NH4TRUMP organizer. “The party’s official apparatus was often absent or dismissive of real local energy.”

Grassroots vs. Establishment

Despite the group’s success, members say they were met with suspicion by NHGOP officials, who saw NH4TRUMP’s growing influence as a challenge to their control. Volunteers report being sidelined from official coordination and excluded from critical campaign planning.

Similarly, We the People NH, a constitutionalist activist group led by Terese Grinnell Bastarache, says it was banned from assisting the campaign by then-NHGOP Chairman Stephen Stepanek. Still, the group claims to have boosted Republican turnout by up to 15% in certain Democrat-dominated precincts.

“Our volunteers showed up when no one else would,” said Bastarache. “They tried to shut us out, but we kept working for what we believe in.”

Political Fallout and Allegations of Suppression

Bastarache was previously arrested in 2021 during a protest against a federal COVID-19 vaccine grant—a move critics say highlights a broader effort by state authorities to marginalize grassroots dissent.

Activists allege that elements within the NHGOP and state institutions have sought to control messaging and limit independent influence, even at the cost of electoral performance.

“They’re more interested in protecting their hierarchy than winning elections,” said one volunteer.

Impact and Implications

The combined grassroots push brought New Hampshire closer to electing a Republican president than it has been in decades, underscoring what many see as the untapped potential of local, decentralized activism.

Political analysts say the rift between party leadership and grassroots organizers could shape future electoral strategies in the state and beyond.

“New Hampshire’s ‘Live Free or Die’ spirit isn’t just a motto,” one NH activist said. “It’s a warning to any political machine that forgets who it’s supposed to serve.”

Contact and Participation

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