Andru Volinsky

Andru Volinsky

Democratic Party

Prior offices

New Hampshire Executive Council District 2

Successor: Cinde Warmington

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Elections and appointments

Last election

September 8, 2020

Education

Bachelor's

University of Miami, 1976

Law

The George Washington University Law School, 1980

Personal

Birthplace

New York, N.Y.

Profession

Attorney

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

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Personal Facebook

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Andru Volinsky (Democratic Party) was a member of the New Hampshire Executive Council, representing District 2. He assumed office on January 5, 2017. He left office on January 6, 2021.

Volinsky (Democratic Party) ran for election for Governor of New Hampshire. He lost in the Democratic primary on September 8, 2020.

Volinsky completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Volinsky was born in New York, New York. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Miami in 1976 and a law degree from George Washington University Law School in 1980. His career experience includes working as a carpenter and an attorney. He was the lead attorney in the Claremont school funding case in the 1990s and represented the Dover School District.

Volinsky has been affiliated with the following organizations:

• NAACP Nashua
• ACLU NH
• Rights and Democracy
• NH Associate of Criminal Lawyers

Political career

New Hampshire Executive Council (2017 - 2021)

Volinsky won election to District 2 of the New Hampshire Executive Council on November 8, 2016, and assumed office on January 5, 2017. He did not seek re-election in 2020.

Elections

2020

See also: New Hampshire gubernatorial election, 2020

New Hampshire gubernatorial election, 2020 (September 8 Republican primary)

New Hampshire gubernatorial election, 2020 (September 8 Democratic primary)

General election

General election for Governor of New Hampshire

Incumbent Chris Sununu defeated Dan Feltes and Darryl Perry in the general election for Governor of New Hampshire on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Chris Sununu (R)	65.1	516,609
		Dan Feltes (D)	33.4	264,639
		Darryl Perry (L)	1.4	11,329
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	683

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 793,260
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Watch the Candidate Conversation for this race!

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Governor of New Hampshire

Dan Feltes defeated Andru Volinsky in the Democratic primary for Governor of New Hampshire on September 8, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Dan Feltes	52.3	72,318
		Andru Volinsky	47.4	65,455
		Other/Write-in votes	0.3	446

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 138,219
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia 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 Governor of New Hampshire

Incumbent Chris Sununu defeated Karen Testerman and Nobody in the Republican primary for Governor of New Hampshire on September 8, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Chris Sununu	89.8	130,703
		Karen Testerman	9.3	13,589
		Nobody	0.9	1,239
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	95

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 145,626
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia 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.
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Endorsements

To view Volinsky's endorsements in the 2020 election, please click here.

2018

See also: New Hampshire Executive Council election, 2018

General election

General election for New Hampshire Executive Council District 2

Incumbent Andru Volinsky defeated James Beard in the general election for New Hampshire Executive Council District 2 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Andru Volinsky (D)	57.9	63,059
	Submit photo	James Beard (R)	42.1	45,768

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 108,827
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia 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 Executive Council District 2

Incumbent Andru Volinsky advanced from the Democratic primary for New Hampshire Executive Council District 2 on September 11, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Andru Volinsky	100.0	25,111

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 25,111
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia 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 Executive Council District 2

James Beard advanced from the Republican primary for New Hampshire Executive Council District 2 on September 11, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	James Beard	100.0	13,233

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 13,233
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia 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.

2016

Main article: New Hampshire Executive Council election, 2016

Volinsky filed to run as a Democratic candidate for District 2 of the New Hampshire Executive Council. He competed in the November 8, 2016, general election with Republican Sam Cataldo.

Andru Volinsky defeated Sam Cataldo in the New Hampshire executive council, District 2 election.

New Hampshire Executive Council, District 2, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Andru Volinsky	52.99%	69,409
	Republican	Sam Cataldo	47.01%	61,588
Total Votes				130,997
Source: The New York Times

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Andru Volinsky completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Volinsky's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am Andru Volinsky-a husband, father, grandfather, public servant and running in the New Hampshire gubernatorial race. I was born into a working class family and, as the first person in my family to go to college, I paid for law school by working as a carpenter. Since then, I have dedicated my life to ensure equity, specifically as it relates to educating our children and the way public schools are funded in New Hampshire. For decades, I've been at the forefront of this fight for equitable educational opportunities. I was the lead lawyer in the Claremont School Funding case in the 1990s that sought to require the state to meet its obligation to provide all students with access to a state-funded, high quality public education. I have remained deeply involved including representing the Dover School District and holding over 60 public forums around the state over the last two years to discuss how school funding really "works" and where it falls short. As Executive Councilor, I am working tirelessly to enact checks and balances and ensure that the contracts and nominations that cross my desk represent the best interests of the state. I'm running for governor to make sure every kid in New Hampshire has a quality state-funded public school education, and to stand up against the disaster of climate change.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• I am refusing to take The Pledge, which is a politically expedient promise that other politicians take to never change our unfair tax system and leads to the underfunding of public schools across the state.

• Climate change is an existential crisis. We must take action and say no to pipelines, fracking and other actions that will leave a lasting impact on future generations.

• It is important that my campaign is funded by the people. Corporate LLC money has no place in politics and we must continue to push for campaign finance reform.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Education, climate change, healthcare access and income inequality.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

John Adams is an historical favorite because he wrote the Education Clause of the Massachusetts State Constitution which New Hampshire later adopted. However, I have the most respect for the way in which President Jimmy Carter has conducted himself since leaving office. He has always remained true to his values and has led by example with his humility and commitment to public service.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

My political philosophy is really an amalgam of many influences from historians like Howard Zinn, to economists like Joseph Stiglitz, to public policy oriented environmentalists like David Orr, to education leaders like Jonathan Kozol, to community organizers of many stripes. I read many books by and about MLK, Jr., Thomas Merton and Gandhi.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Steadfastness, integrity and courage.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Integrity, intellectual curiosity and attention to detail.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

The core responsibilities include listening to constituents, the willingness to problem solve collaboratively and having the courage to buck the status quo for the greater good of the state.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like to leave a legacy of leading with integrity, courage and with a willingness to make decisions that improve the lives of working people.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I was in third grade when President Kennedy was assassinated. I remember being sent home early and trying to process what had happened while sitting on a swing set with friends in a school yard.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

The summer after high school and before college, my first job was delivering furniture in Philadelphia. It was one of the best jobs I ever had. The owner of the truck was working on his PhD in philosophy. We spent the summer lugging heavy furniture and talking about philosophy.

My first professional job was as a clinical instructor at the University of Tennessee School of Law. I taught 3rd year students how to defend poor people accused of crimes and my partner and I defended as many cases as we could. We defended three death penalty/murder cases during the time I was there. I learned as much from my students and the clients as what I offered them.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Brother to a Dragonfly by Rev. Will Campbell is one of my favorite books. It was given to me by a quintessential son of Tennessee to help me understand life in Appalachia. It's impact was much broader than that and helped me to be more understanding of others.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Atticus Finch

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Louis Armstrong-What a Wonderful World

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Remembering where I came from, while fitting-in in places where I need to be in order to advance our society.

A governor is the top executive authority in his or her state. What does that mean do you?

Particularly in the New Hampshire form of government, where power is so broadly distributed, the governor must be the collaborator in chief. The governor must work hard to bring others along, but must also set clear goals for the state. As an Executive Councilor, I have tried to always stretch the conversation so that as many others as possible can join in, as well. At times, this has been lonely, but often, when there are later opportunities, my colleagues have endeavored to catch up to the positions I staked out. Also, paying attention to detail and working hard to master the terms of contracts and backgrounds of appointees has earned respect for me from colleagues, even when we don't agree.

Governors have many responsibilities, which vary from state to state. Which of those do you personally consider the most important in your state?

The most important responsibilities of the governor is to start the budget process and nominate highly qualified state managers and judges. The New Hampshire governor sets the agenda for the state with his or her budget address and first draft of the budget. S/he then implements budget priorities with the people nominated to lead state agencies. The judges a governor nominates reflect his or her views of justice.

Different states require governors to have different degrees of responsibility for the state budgeting process. If it were your choice, what do you believe is the appropriate degree of gubernatorial involvement with this process in your state?

The budget is an agenda setting document. The state explains and explores its values by how it raises revenues and to what purposes it commits those revenues. The governor leads this process by starting the discussion with a public address and a draft budget. New Hampshire has allowed too many to escape contributing their fair share that would support important services and we must to correct this. Also, too often governors have only seen state expenditures as costs to be minimized. In truth, some state expenditures are investments that should be nurtured. Education, infrastructure, mental and physical health systems are high on the list of matters in which we should invest.

In most states, governors have the power to make line-item vetoes. If that is true in your state, what would be your philosophy for how and when to use this power?

The New Hampshire governor does not have this power.

If the governor's office in your state does not have the line-item veto power, do you believe it should? Why or why not?

No, checks and balances are a crucial part of our democracy and the governor should not have this power.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

I believe in working collaboratively with all levels of government in order to achieve common cause. We must not allow divisive language or politics to stop our progress, and as governor, I am committed to keeping the lines of communication open in order to achieve this goal.

What do you love most about your state?

I love the physical beauty of my state-the White Mountains, the small lakes and rivers, the ocean front. I also love the willingness of neighbors to help out. When a tree fell on my old Subaru, my neighbor and his son showed up and helped me cut it up-we love our chainsaws-and move it aside. The adjuster offered to have me hire someone and I said, "Already done."

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Our greatest challenge will be leading the charge to protect our environment and combat climate change. New Hampshire has fallen behind our neighbors when it comes to bold action on the environment, costing us both jobs and our public health. Young people, in particular, are right to demand progress to save our planet. To do that, we must replace the Sununu Administration's devotion to the fossil fuel industry and refusal to address the climate crisis.

We desperately need a new direction. When I am elected governor, within my first 30 days, I will convert the Office of Strategic Initiatives (OSI) to the Agency for Climate, Energy and the Environment (ACEE) which will create a citizen-informed New Hampshire Climate Action Plan to coordinate government departments' efforts to stop climate change. The goal is to make New Hampshire net carbon-neutral in the electrical, transportation, and heating sectors by 2030 through every policy tool available to us, from carbon cash back programs to investing in energy efficiency and renewables to building commuter rail lines to Boston.

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.

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External links

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Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by '	New Hampshire Executive Council District 2 2017 - 2021	Succeeded by Cinde Warmington (D)