New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu's annual State of the State address was cut short on Thursday after a state lawmaker suffered a medical emergency.
Sununu was close to finishing his state-of-the state address to the Legislature when Rep. Ralph Boehm, R-Litchfield, suffered a medical emergency.
In consultation with House leadership, Sununu decided not to continue and instead released a transcript of his remarks. Officials said later that Boehm was expected to make a full recovery after a night in the hospital.
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Early in his speech, Sununu touted rankings that show New Hampshire as a regional leader in economic and population growth and as a national leader in freedom and public safety. Those come from smart management of tax dollars and the prioritization of individuals over government, he said.
“Ranking after ranking shows that the Granite State is the place to be,” he said. “We are very proud that our life here in the 603 is simply the best of the best, but we did not get here by accident.”
It was the first time Sununu had addressed the full Legislature in person since February 2020, just before the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Last year’s budget address was delivered online; Thursday’s event was held at a Manchester hotel expo center to allow the 424-member Legislature to spread out.
“COVID’s been very tough, but New Hampshire has been very strong,” Sununu said.
Sununu, who announced in November that he will seek a fourth term as governor rather than run for U.S. Senate, wound down his speech by urging lawmakers to reject the extremism displayed in Washington.
“If you are here to get attention over the fight that frankly gets us nowhere, I don’t think any of us have any patience for that,” he said. “I have never and will never let our process and our opportunity be hijacked by radical elements on either side of the aisle.”
You can read the full transcript of Sununu's speech below:
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
