George Hansel
{{short description|American politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = George Hansel
| image = File:Nikki Haley event Keene Country Club Keene NH January 2024 04 (cropped).jpg
| caption = Hansel at a Nikki Haley event in
Keene, New Hampshire on January 20, 2024
| office = Mayor of Keene
| term_start = January 1, 2020
| term_end = January 4, 2024
| predecessor = Kendall Lane
| successor = Jay Kahn
| birth_name = George Sumner Hansel{{cite web | url=https://www.sentinelsource.com/hub/celebrations/engagements/fleury-hansel-engagement/article_ce5614c1-43de-55f9-98f0-075d29f53b4c.html | title=Fleury/Hansel engagement | date=5 April 2015 }}
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1986|1|19}}
| birth_place =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| party = Republican
| education = St. Lawrence University (BA)
| office1 = Member of the Keene City Council
from the 5th ward
| termstart1 = January 2016
| termend1 = January 2020
| succeeded1 = Thomas Powers
}}
George S. Hansel{{cite web |url=https://keenenh.gov/my-city-government/mayor |title=Mayor | City of Keene}} (born January 19, 1986){{cn|date=April 2023}} is an American politician who served as the Mayor of Keene from 2020 to 2024.{{Cite web|url=https://keenenh.gov/my-city-government/mayor|title=Mayor | City of Keene|website=Keenenh.gov|access-date=8 November 2021}}
Early life
Hansel's family moved to the Monadnock Region in 1971. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York. Prior to his elective career, Hansel was a co-owner and vice president for his family's fifth-generation Keene-based business Filtrine Manufacturing Co., a filtration and water cooling company. {{Cite web|url=https://www.nhbr.com/filtrines-george-hansel-makes-his-mark-on-keene/|title=Filtrine's George Hansel makes his mark on Keene|website=Nhbr.com|date=9 June 2016|access-date=8 November 2021}}
Early elected career
In 2014, Hansel won the Republican primary as a candidate for Cheshire 8 of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, but lost in the general election to incumbent Democrat {{interlanguage link|Cynthia Chase|de}} by 51 votes.{{Cite web|url=https://ballotpedia.org/George_Hansel|title=George Hansel|website=Ballotpedia.org|access-date=8 November 2021}} In December 2015, he was elected as a member of the Keene City Council from ward 5, serving two terms until being elected Mayor.{{Cite web|url=https://www.wmur.com/article/incumbents-reelected-mayors-of-laconia-somersworth-concord-keene/38140561|title=Incumbents reelected mayors of Laconia, Somersworth, Concord, Keene|first=John|last=DiStaso|date=3 November 2021|website=Wmur.com|access-date=8 November 2021}} George also serves on several statewide boards and commissions, including The University System Board of Trustees, the New Hampshire Council for Housing Stability, the New Hampshire Businesses for Social Responsibility, the Monadnock Center for Violence Prevention, and the Governor’s Millennial Advisory Council, {{Cite web|url=https://www.wmur.com/article/new-hampshire-2021-elections-preview/38059785|title=Voters in 9 NH cities to elect mayors Tuesday, Nov. 2|first=John|last=DiStaso|date=1 November 2021|website=Wmur.com|access-date=8 November 2021}}
Mayoralty
{{see also|List of mayors of Keene, New Hampshire}}
Hansel was first elected as mayor in 2019 by a margin of 52.7% to 47.3%. He beat out Democrat Mitchell Greenwald for Keene’s open mayoral seat after incumbent mayor Kendall Lane chose not to run for reelection. Mayor Lane and former Keene Mayor Dale Pregent both endorsed Hansel in the race.{{Cite web|url=https://www.unionleader.com/hansel-edges-greenwald-in-keene-koloski-tops-in-claremont/article_48f24d39-2c35-53ab-a8c5-4067b012bff5.html|title=Hansel edges Greenwald in Keene; Koloski tops in Claremont|author=Damien Fisher|website=UnionLeader.com|date=5 November 2019 |access-date=8 November 2021}} Hansel took 2,586 votes to Greenwald’s 2,312, {{Cite web|url=https://www.nhpr.org/nh-news/2019-11-08/keene-mayor-elect-george-hansel-we-need-to-come-together-as-a-rural-community|title=Keene Mayor-Elect George Hansel: 'We Need to Come Together as a Rural Community'|date=8 November 2019|website=New Hampshire Public Radio|access-date=8 November 2021}} {{Cite web|url=https://www.nhpr.org/nh-news/2021-11-02/who-is-running-for-mayor-in-n-h-s-cities|title=Who is running for mayor in N.H.'s cities?|date=2 November 2021|website=New Hampshire Public Radio|access-date=8 November 2021}} In 2021, Hansel secured a second term as mayor after easily defeating challenger Mark J. Zuchowsk. He won 2,133 votes compared to Zuchowski’s 212, or 91% to 9% of the vote. Each of the city’s five city council wards overwhelmingly supported Hansel, who ran for another two-year term on a platform focused on addressing the region’s housing shortage and continuing the city’s efforts to upgrade its aging infrastructure.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sentinelsource.com/news/local/hansel-coasts-to-re-election-as-keene-mayor/article_343508ef-cd1f-5aed-8480-7c348a9346b7.html|title=Hansel coasts to re-election as Keene mayor|author=Mia Summerson|website=SentinelSource.com|date=2 November 2021 |access-date=8 November 2021}}
In October 2020, after Keene's city council passed a resolution recognizing Indigenous Peoples Day, Hansel proclaimed the second Monday of October Indigenous Peoples Day in Keene.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sentinelsource.com/news/local/keene-marks-its-first-official-indigenous-peoples-day-today/article_a841ee06-761a-5ad8-a290-bea8369309b8.html|title=Keene marks its first official Indigenous Peoples Day today|author=Olivia Belanger|website=sentinelsource.com|date=12 October 2020 |access-date=5 September 2022}}{{Cite web|url=https://keenenh.gov/sites/default/files/city-clerk/Indigenous%20People's%20Day_2020.pdf|title=Proclamation|author=George Hansel|website=keenenh.gov|access-date=12 September 2022}}
As mayor, Hansel has supported engaging more citizens in the local government aiming to "increase diversity on city boards and commissions."{{Cite web|url=https://news.yahoo.com/keene-mayor-george-hansel-launches-183500690.html|title=Keene Mayor George Hansel launches campaign for Congress|author=Rick Green And Hunter Oberst|website=news.yahoo.com|date=June 2022 |access-date=5 September 2022}}
On May 1, 2023 Hansel announced that he would not run for a third term as mayor.{{cite web | url=https://www.sentinelsource.com/news/local/city/george-hansel-will-not-seek-a-third-term-for-keene-mayor/article_c4ffe3c9-7bdb-5673-b261-ca9134f0b341.html | title=George Hansel will not seek a third term for Keene mayor | date=May 2023 }}
Hansel endorsed Nikki Haley in the 2024 Republican presidential primary.
Congressional run
In June 2022, Hansel announced his candidacy for U.S. Congress from New Hampshire's 2nd congressional district, running as a pro-choice moderate.{{Cite web|url=https://news.yahoo.com/keene-mayor-george-hansel-launches-183500690.html|title=Keene Mayor George Hansel launches campaign for Congress|author=Rick Green And Hunter Oberst|website=news.yahoo.com|date=June 2022 |access-date=5 September 2022}} In the primary, he was narrowly defeated by conservative Hillsborough County Treasurer Robert Burns.
Radio show
Hansel hosts a 2-hour radio show on Saturday mornings on Keene radio station WKBK.{{cite web|url=https://wkbkradio.com/program-schedule/|title=WKBK Program Schedule|access-date=11 March 2022}} He also makes appearances on the station's weekday morning show.
Criticism
Hansel has been criticized by Robert Burns, fellow candidate for Congress from New Hampshire's 2nd congressional district, for running a "sanctuary city" as mayor of Keene.{{Cite web|url=https://www.wmur.com/article/new-hampshire-02-primary-burns-hansel-keene-sanctuary-city-7522/40516965#|title=In NH-02 primary, Burns accuses Hansel of running sanctuary city as mayor of Keene|author=Adam Sexton|website=wmur.com|date=6 July 2022 |access-date=5 September 2022}} This refers to a resolution passed by Keene's city council that declared Keene as a welcoming city for all. The resolution was aspirational and did not impact police policy. Mayor Hansel, a City Councilor at the time, voted against the passing the resolution.{{Cite web|url=https://www.wmur.com/article/new-hampshire-02-primary-burns-hansel-keene-sanctuary-city-7522/40516965#|title=In NH-02 primary, Burns accuses Hansel of running 'sanctuary city' as mayor of Keene|author=Adam Sexton|website=wmur.com|date=6 July 2022 |access-date=5 September 2022}} Nevertheless, Hansel said he didn't disagree with the resolution's sentiment.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sentinelsource.com/news/local/city-council-backs-resolution-on-immigration-enforcement/article_365fda78-8084-565e-b364-6b837d0d4ba3.html|title=City Council backs resolution on immigration enforcement|author=Paul Cuno-Booth|website=sentinelsource.com|date=17 November 2017 |access-date=12 September 2022}} Hansel has dismissed Burns' criticism, referring to it as a "distraction".{{Cite web|url=https://www.wmur.com/article/new-hampshire-02-primary-burns-hansel-keene-sanctuary-city-7522/40516965#|title=In NH-02 primary, Burns accuses Hansel of running 'sanctuary city' as mayor of Keene|author=Adam Sexton|website=wmur.com|date=6 July 2022 |access-date=5 September 2022}}
References
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Category:21st-century mayors of places in New Hampshire
Category:New Hampshire city council members
Category:Politicians from Keene, New Hampshire
Category:St. Lawrence University alumni
Category:New Hampshire Republicans
Category:Candidates in the 2022 United States House of Representatives elections